Knicks vs – The New York Knicks return to Frost Bank Center on Saturday, June 13, 2026, for Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs with a 3-1 series lead—one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973 after a historic 107-106 comeback win on Wednesday. Coverage i
The Knicks could feel it in the building—down 29 points, still somehow standing when the final second arrived. On Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. their historic 107-106 comeback over the San Antonio Spurs flipped the series. and OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left sent the crowd into a frenzy. Now New York arrives at Saturday’s Game 5 with the kind of edge that doesn’t come around often: one win away from the first NBA championship since 1973.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center, with ABC carrying the game. For fans trying to watch without paying full price, a DIRECTV or Fubo free trial is available to catch Game 5 on the ABC broadcast—though local availability can depend on blackout rules.
The stakes aren’t just basketball. They also land in the real-world rhythm of the city, especially if the series goes deeper.
For many viewers, ABC is the simplest path. But DIRECTV customers without ABC due to a retransmission dispute with Scripps will need another option. Fubo is the alternative highlighted for those cases, with a free trial available. Viewers are also told to check local markets to see whether ABC is available in their area.
That blackout picture is not small. Scripps Local Media pulled 54 local broadcast stations from DIRECTV on May 31, including 17 ABC affiliates. The impacted cities listed include Baltimore. Boise. Buffalo. Cincinnati. Cleveland. Denver. Detroit. Kansas City. Las Vegas. Lexington. Miami. Milwaukee. Nashville. Omaha. Phoenix. Salt Lake City. Tampa-St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach, among others.
If you’re locked into streaming, the guidance for tonight’s coverage is straightforward: DIRECTV (free trial) or Fubo (free trial) for the live stream.
New York’s last trip to the NBA Finals came in 1999—also against the Spurs. San Antonio’s last run to the Finals was in 2014. Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2026, and it sits right on the edge of history for the Knicks.
The calendar adds pressure beyond the court. If a Game 6 is necessary. it would coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. with the next World Cup match listed as France taking on Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16 at 3 p.m. ET. Though those games wouldn’t be at the same time. the commute plan would still be a squeeze: the situation notes that fans cannot park at MetLife Stadium and must use public transportation. with expectations of overwhelming transit if both events fall on the same day.
There’s also a bigger timetable in play if the series extends. Here’s the full schedule of the 2026 NBA Finals, all times Eastern Standard, in the event it goes to Game 7:
June 3 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 1 final — Knicks 105. Spurs 95 at Frost Bank Center (at Spurs)
June 5 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 2 final — Knicks 105. Spurs 94 at Frost Bank Center (at Spurs)
June 8 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 3 final — Spurs 115. Knicks 111 at Madison Square Garden (at Knicks)
June 10 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 4 final — Knicks 107. Spurs 106 at Madison Square Garden (at Knicks)
June 13 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 5 at Frost Bank Center (at Spurs)
June 16 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 6 (If Necessary) at Madison Square Garden (at Knicks)
June 19 — 8:30 p.m.: Game 7 (If Necessary) at Frost Bank Center (at Spurs).
The message from Wednesday night is hard to ignore: this Knicks team can dig out of a hole that looked too deep. Saturday night, they don’t need to dig anymore. They just need one more win at 8:30 p.m. ET, with the city watching whether this time the championship drought ends for good—back where it last began, in 1973.
Knicks vs Spurs Game 5 NBA Finals 2026 OG Anunoby Frost Bank Center Madison Square Garden ABC free trial DIRECTV blackout Fubo free trial Knicks championship drought 1973 Spurs series lead