The 2026 NBA Finals are heading to New York, and the Knicks are suddenly just two wins away from a championship. After beating the San Antonio Spurs in the first two games on the road, New York has grabbed a 2-0 series lead and extended its playoff winning streak to 13 games. Now, with the series shifting to Madison Square Garden, fans are eager to know when Game 3 will take place and how they can watch it live.

The matchup also carries a bit of history. The last time these two franchises met in the NBA Finals was in 1999, when the Spurs defeated the Knicks in five games to win their first championship. This year, however, New York has looked like the stronger side through the opening two contests and has placed San Antonio under immediate pressure.

Knicks vs Spurs 2026 NBA Finals Game 3 Schedule, Start Time And TV Channel

The biggest spotlight now falls on Game 3, which is scheduled for Monday, June 8, at 8:30 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Fans can also stream the action through platforms that carry ABC coverage.

New York enters the contest with momentum after winning Game 1 by 105-95 and escaping with a dramatic 105-104 victory in Game 2. A win in Game 3 would move the Knicks within one victory of their first NBA title since 1973, making this one of the most important games the franchise has played in decades.

The remaining Finals schedule is already set if needed. Game 4 will stay in New York on June 10 before the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5. With the Knicks holding home-court advantage for the next two games, the pressure is now firmly on the Spurs to respond.

Knicks And Spurs Took Very Different Paths To The 2026 NBA Finals

Getting to this stage was anything but easy, especially for San Antonio. The Spurs survived a tough seven-game Western Conference Finals battle against the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning the deciding game 111-103 to book their place in the championship series.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have looked dominant throughout the postseason. They swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers, then carried that form into the Finals. Their conference finals run ended with a 4-0 sweep of Cleveland, making them the first Eastern Conference champions from New York since 1999.

That history is one reason Game 3 matters so much. The Spurs are trying to avoid falling into a nearly impossible 3-0 hole, while the Knicks are chasing a long-awaited championship in front of their home crowd. With the series returning to Madison Square Garden, the Finals could take a major turn, or move one step closer to a New York celebration.