The 2026 NBA Finals will begin on Wednesday, June 3, and end on Friday, June 19, should the title need seven games to be decided.
According to Sports Media Watch, this will be the first NBA Finals since 1970 to not have a game scheduled for a Sunday. Typically, the league’s final playoff series of the season has begun on a Thursday and ended on a Sunday if a Game 7 was necessary.
Advertisement
There is also the potential uniqueness of an NBA Finals game airing on a Saturday night (Game 5), something that has only happened once since 1981.
2026 NBA Finals schedule
Game 1: Wednesday, June 3
Game 2: Friday, June 5
Game 3: Monday, June 8
Game 4: Wednesday, June 10
*Game 5: Saturday, June 13
*Game 6: Tuesday, June 16
*Game 7: Friday, June 19
*if necessary
(all games begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
There are two factors playing into how the NBA and ABC devised the schedule for this year. First, ABC is also airing the Stanley Cup Final, which will take place around the same time. Then you have the World Cup, which begins on June 11 and sees the United States begin its tournament on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.
Advertisement
The second group game for the USMNT is a week later on Friday, June 19, at 3 p.m. ET, hours before a potential Game 7.
Since 2017 and 2018 when the Golden State Warriors went back-to-back, the NBA has seen seven different champions. Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Indiana Pacers in the first seven-game NBA Finals since 2016.
As of Tuesday, the Thunder remain on top of the NBA with a 36-8 record. Behind them in the overall standings is the 31-10 Detroit Pistons and the 30-13 San Antonio Spurs.
Leave a Reply