A rematch of 1999: It's Spurs vs. Knicks for NBA title, after teams met in NBA Cup final as well

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The last time the New York Knicks made the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs were the opponent and just happened to have a generational big man talent who was heading to the title round for the first time.

Déjà vu.

Back then for the Spurs, it was Tim Duncan. This time for the Spurs, it's Victor Wembanyama. Here they go again: San Antonio vs. New York is the matchup for the 2026 NBA Finals, a Spurs team looking to return to basketball's mountaintop for the sixth time and a Knicks team looking for its first championship in 53 years.

Game 1 is Wednesday in San Antonio.

It's an appealing matchup for so many reasons — among them, it's a rematch of this season's NBA Cup championship game won by the Knicks. It has appeal of a global capital like New York, it has the international element with a French superstar like Wembanyama and it extends an era of parity the likes of which the league has never before seen.

No matter who wins this series, it'll be the eighth different franchise to win a title in the last eight seasons — extending the longest such stretch in NBA history. Toronto won in 2019, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, then Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023, Boston in 2024, Oklahoma City last year, and now either New York or San Antonio will be added to that list.

The Spurs' win in Oklahoma City on Saturday night extended another part of the parity puzzle, that being no defending champion has even gotten back to the NBA Finals since Golden State won in 2018 and returned in 2019.

The Knicks are trying to do something not done since the days of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe and Phil Jackson — that being, win it all. There have been 17 different franchises (18 if the Thunder and Seattle SuperSonics are considered separately, as some fans prefer) that have celebrated championships since the Knicks last won the title, with the Los Angeles Lakers having won 11 crowns in that span, Boston winning seven, Chicago six and Golden State five.

They're the talk of New York right now, after earning their first finals trip since 1999. The mood was quite different a month ago, when New York trailed Atlanta 2-1 after back-to-back one-point losses in Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series.

New York is 11-0 since, winning almost all those games by blowout. And if the team didn’t hear the negative noise from Round 1, it can’t hear all the effusive praise coming now, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said.

“When there’s negative things being said about you, it’s important to ignore them,” Brunson said. “When there’s positive things about you, it’s easy to be able to read them to make you feel good. But you can’t do one and not the other. Just block it out as best you can.”

Technically, the teams went 1-1 against each other. New York won two of the three meetings, but the NBA Cup final matchup — essentially an 83rd game in an 82-game season — doesn't count in any league records or statistics.

Both teams won their home game against the other this season. Julian Champagnie made 11 3-pointers and Wembanyama scored 31 points to lead the Spurs to a comeback 134-132 win over New York on Dec. 31. The Knicks pulled away in the fourth to a 114-89 win on March 1 to snap San Antonio's 11-game winning streak, plus won the Cup final in Las Vegas.

As would be expected, the Spurs — who have home-court advantage — are the early favorites to win the series. They were listed with odds of -210 on Saturday night, meaning bettors would to wager $210 to win $100.

The Knicks had odds of +170.

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San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts as he collides with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) in the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is covered by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) and forward Jaylin Williams in the second half of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and guard Stephon Castle (5) celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and guard Stephon Castle (5) celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama celebrates after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa imposed its forward power on New Zealand and won a pulsating third test 29-24 to snatch a 2-1 lead in their historic rugby series on Saturday.

The comeback from losing the first test ensured the Springboks cannot lose the series. They have a chance next Saturday in the fourth and final match in Baltimore to clinch their first series victory over the All Blacks since 1976.

The Springboks muscled up in the set-pieces to prevail. The scrum earned a penalty try to level at halftime 12-12 and when they led for the first time an hour in, they secured the win with a magnificent, crabbing lineout maul from which Malcolm Marx dived between the posts and thumped the ground in joy.

“We're so proud of the win today,” South Africa captain Siya Kolisi said, “but it was a great game from the All Blacks. They pushed us to the limit.”

For the first time in the series, they matched New Zealand for tries — four each — and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu replaced injured goalkicker Cheslin Kolbe to slot seven points.

Crucially, counterpart Ruben Love missed seven out of nine points off the tee. Also, New Zealand captain Ardie Savea was lost to injury after 30 minutes, costing the All Blacks their leading physical presence.

They can still rescue a series draw against the pre-tour odds next weekend but the inspirational Savea won't travel to Baltimore, “gutted” New Zealand coach Dave Rennie said.

They rued careless errors that gave hope back to South Africa after they led 17-12.

A missed tackle by Leroy Carter allowed South Africa's Jesse Kriel to stroll in untouched. The host's two-point lead then became nine with 14 minutes to go. A kick over the deadball line led to the maul and Marx try that energized the Boks in front of their biggest crowd of the tour: 85,976.

“We just couldn't get our game going for long enough to hurt them,” Rennie said. “When we hit the lead (in the second half) we gave up a soft try. To be fair, they dominated the next 15 minutes.”

In a breathless end-to-end first half, wrecking ball hooker Asafo Aumua, danger winger Will Jordan and Savea spearheaded New Zealand's best start in the series.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu was fortunate to concede only a yellow card and not a penalty try for a deliberate knockdown in the same New Zealand attack that forced off Kolbe with a head knock.

Moments later, Aumua set up Savea's 34th test try that made him the forward with the most in men’s internationals.

Prop Ox Nché and winger Ethan Hooker were carrying South Africa, which held out with 14 men and managed to score when Damian de Allende brushed off Carter and gave other winger Kurt-Lee Arendse an overlap try.

Savea’s second try featured a big sidestep by lock Tupou Vaa'i in his 50th test and Savea’s skip pass to Carter. Feinberg-Mngomezulu played the ball out of the ruck and Savea scooped it up on the run to score.

Five minutes later, Savea was leaving with a suspected shoulder injury. That brought in Wallace Sititi, whose sister Amarante also came off the bench and scored in the New Zealand women's 52-20 win over South Africa in the curtain-raiser.

New Zealand spent the last 10 minutes under siege and Love was yellow-carded. The South Africa scrum, already menacing, earned the penalty try for 12-12 when a pushover attempt was interfered with.

But with new props, New Zealand got a scrum penalty for what referee Nika Amashukeli said was South Africa walking around. It was the first time in the series the Springboks were called out for it. Scrums have been a flash point and South Africa has denied walking around. The 52-meter penalty kick was missed by Love.

Love also missed converting a try by Jordan, whose chip was collected by Carter, who popped up for the trailing Jordan to grab his 54th try.

At that point, South Africa replaced stalwarts Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Nché and New Zealand got careless.

See AP’s full rugby coverage here

New Zealand's captain Ardie Savea, front, breaks away from South Africa's captain Siya Kolisi, to score a try during a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

New Zealand's Luke Jacobson, right, is tackled by South Africa's Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, left, and his teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit, during a third international test rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)