Winners and Losers From the Eastern and Western Conference Finals

A look back at the conference finals round before the Knicks and the Spurs meet to determine this year’s NBA champion.

Jalen Brunson was given the Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy by Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The conference finals was a tale of two extremes. In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks ran through the Cavaliers to continue a historic 11-game playoff winning streak and bring the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Out West, the Spurs and the Thunder went the distance in what was the matchup that had been circled on calendars for months.

New York watched Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio close the door on the defending champs on the road in Game 7 Saturday night. At that point, the Knicks were on their fifth day of rest amid an eight-day layoff before the NBA Finals open on Wednesday. The Spurs’ series against Oklahoma City came after the Thunder swept the Lakers in the second round. The Spurs used the Thunder’s rustiness against them for a thrilling Game 1 win in double overtime. During New York’s winning streak, they also swept their second-round opponent in the 76ers. The long layoff didn’t hinder the Knicks, although they had to come back from a wild 22-point deficit in Game 1 to take down the Cavs in an overtime thriller.

Now, the two sides meet to determine this year’s champion. Will it be Wembanyama and the Spurs who just dethroned the defending champs? Or can the Knicks continue their run and end another long drought for the franchise’s first title since 1973?

Before the NBA Finals begin on Wednesday, let’s take a look back on both conference finals and dive into the biggest winners and losers from the penultimate round:

Winner: Knicks fans

Hollywood A-lister Timothée Chalamet is a diehard Knicks fan and has been a frequent presence during New York’s run to the NBA Finals. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

For the first time in 27 years, Knicks fans can say that their team is in the NBA Finals. Not only that, but this iteration of the Knicks ran through the Eastern Conference at a historic pace with 11 wins in a row after they fell behind 2–1 to the Hawks in the first round. This was the plan for New York all along, since the arrival of Jalen Brunson in 2022. Along the way, Knicks president Leon Rose has built the roster around the star guard into a true title contender with bold trades for Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.

As recent as last year, it looked like this version of the Knicks might not get over the hump after a loss in the Eastern Conference finals to the surprising Pacers in six games. What ensued, however, was Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal and the hire of Mike Brown, who kept New York near the top of the East. And with more playoff experience as a unit, the Brunson-led bunch took the next step and silenced all critics.

The historic playoff run proved the Knicks are a formidable opponent who should go head-to-head with the Spurs. New York’s championship drought, which dates back to 1973, is nearly twice as long as its Finals drought and while taking down San Antonio will be a daunting challenge, the Knicks won’t keel over as they seek to end a five-decade run without a title.

Loser: Analytics … at least the ones Kenny Atkinson was looking at

Kenny Atkinson’s comments about his team’s analytical success against the Knicks went over like a lead balloon. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson gave the quote of the conference finals when he said, “analytically, we’ve won two out of three in the expected score.”

“Analytically… we’ve won 2/3 games on the expected (score),- Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson.

The Cavs have lost all 3 games of the Knicks series. pic.twitter.com/TQNHG2lZsJ

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 24, 2026

To his credit, he was searching for something positive to take away while in a 3–0 hole against the Knicks and the expected score metric wasn’t something he used to motivate his team, just for his own knowledge on Cleveland’s process. Nevertheless, that’s not what any Cavs fan wanted to hear and James Harden only made it worse after New York completed the sweep by saying, “Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team.”

“Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team,” - James Harden after the Cavs were swept by the Knicks 🫨🫨🫨 pic.twitter.com/JtDk8A7D2F

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 26, 2026

The internet certainly had their fun with both Atkinson and Harden as Cleveland was completely outmatched by the Knicks. It was an uphill battle from the start as the Cavs had survived two Game 7s through its first two series while New York turned into an unstoppable force. Maybe next time, though, Atkinson could ignore specific advanced metrics that favor his team when it’s such a lopsided affair. Or don’t outwardly acknowledge them at the very least.

One year removed from the Coach of the Year award, Atkinson will remain the Cavs’ coach after the group took a step forward this year with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Star guard Donovan Mitchell is confident this version of the Cavs can get over the hump and team president Koby Altman has the offseason to figure out how to do so. 

Winner: Victor Wembanyama, not hiding his emotions

Victor Wembanyama was very emotional on the court after the Spurs eliminated the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Last month, Wembanyama offered up this extremely hard quote to a French reporter:

“Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.” 

He talked the talk and then walked the walk after winning Game 7. When the final buzzer sounded on the Spurs’ remarkable win over the defending champion Thunder, Wembanyama wore everything he was feeling on his sleeve. He screamed in joy and hugged his teammates and seemed close to tears at several points upon realizing he was NBA Finals-bound. It was an all too human showing from a player whose physical gifts often make him seem otherworldly. 

It was great to see. The modern athlete is a buttoned-up, walking PR machine in many instances. But Wembanyama is an emotional person and doesn’t consider that something to hide from the public. He not only understands but embraces the fact that, as a superstar, he will cope with great success and epic failure in front of the entire world. He may as well be authentic and truthful about that experience, because the alternative is that burden of hiding it. 

As sports fans, we’re all fortunate Wembanyama is the next torch-bearer of the NBA. What’s more, he’ll be at the center of the basketball world for the next two weeks as he makes his first NBA Finals appearance. And he won’t be hiding his emotions when the time comes to take the floor—even in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that will be out for blood. What cinema it will be. What theater we have in store. 

What a win for Wembanyama. 

Loser: The Thunder’s dynasty 

The Thunder looked unbeatable during long stretches of the last two seasons, but the WCF loss halted early buzz about the NBA’s next dynasty. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

It was not so long ago that the NBA world mourned the possibility of a competitive playoffs due to how good the Thunder appeared to be. When OKC went 24–1 to kick off this season after winning the title last season, it felt like the NBA’s newest dynasty had arrived—a roster loaded with talent and led by the best player in the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It was a group that could win all sorts of ways and were young enough that there wasn’t an obvious end point in sight. Some were not just willing but ready to declare the NBA belonged to OKC for the foreseeable future in the same way the Warriors and Heat owned the league before them.

And that’s why they play the games. 

The Thunder are an exceptional team but met their match in the Western Conference finals in a way that felt similar to the defending champion Nuggets losing to the Timberwolves a few years ago. The Spurs were uniquely equipped to go to war with OKC thanks to the generational talents of Wemby and a roster littered with athletic role players who could all defend and find ways to score. Over the course of seven games they proved a match for the 2024–25 champs and wound up sending the Thunder packing in front of their own crowd. 

It puts a firm end to dynasty talk. Oklahoma City could definitely get back into the conversation if this loss spurs general manager Sam Presti to build an even better roster that dominates the league for years to come. But going back-to-back is a prerequisite to be considered a true dynasty and the Thunder failed by losing Game 7. 

There’s no dynasty in sight around the NBA right now. Unless, of course, one is brewing down in San Antonio thanks to a certain Alien… 

Winner: NBA parity 

The NBA is heading towards an new NBA champion for an eighth consecutive year under Adam Silver’s leadership. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On a similar note, the Thunder’s defeat is yet another data point in favor of the idea that the NBA is in one of its greatest parity eras. 

OKC’s loss means this year will bring a new champion for the eighth year in a row. The last team to repeat was the ‘18 Warriors. They were also the last reigning champ to even make it back to the Finals. In the eight seasons since the defending champs were taken down early in the playoffs. The Thunder’s seven-game defeat in the WCF marks it the furthest a reigning title team has made it since those same Warriors. 

This is what NBA commissioner Adam Silver wanted—a league where any team could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the year. He got it. Oklahoma City seemed as primed to repeat as any contender we’ve seen rule the NBA in recent years, and even the SGA-led roster couldn’t get it done. 

Parity rules in today’s league. And it’s set to keep ruling for a while yet. 

Loser: Sacramento Kings

Once upon a time, Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox were the young faces of the Kings. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Kings’ season has long been over but the hits have kept on coming for the lowly franchise. Last year, Sacramento saw its former point guard Tyrese Haliburton lead the Pacers to the NBA Finals after the Kings traded him for Domantas Sabonis three seasons earlier. Somehow, this year’s Finals matchup only got worse for Sacramento fans. The franchise fired Mike Brown after two and a half seasons midway through last year after a 13–18 start. New York decided to part with Thibodeau after last year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals and hired Brown as the man to help lead the franchise back to the Finals for the first time in 27 seasons. He did just that in his first year on the job.

A month after the Kings fired Brown, they traded longtime star guard De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a huge three-team deal with the Bulls in which Sacramento added Zach LaVine and three first-round draft picks. Now, Fox is off to the Finals with the Spurs in his first full season in San Antonio for a matchup against his old coach. Haliburton’s Finals appearance last year was enough to make Kings fans have a stomach ache and this year’s outcome has only made it worse.

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