Spurs 6-0 – With the NBA Finals set to begin Wednesday in San Antonio, the Spurs carry a daunting Game 1 history into a rematch of the 1999 Finals against the Knicks. San Antonio is 6-0 in NBA Finals Game 1s, all of them at home—and that streak is now hanging over New Yor
The Spurs are about to find out whether history still has a pulse.
New York and San Antonio are set to begin the NBA Finals on Wednesday in San Antonio—bookending a matchup that feels like a time machine back to 1999. when the Spurs won the Finals in five. For the Knicks, Game 1 will be more than a first test. It will be the moment they try to shake off a Spurs record that refuses to disappear.
San Antonio has never lost a Game 1 in its NBA Finals history. That includes the 1999 Finals, when San Antonio played in its first NBA Finals against the 8th-seeded Knicks. The Spurs won Game 1 89-77, with the series led by David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Sean Elliott, and Mario Ellie.
That 1999 series swung later for New York. The Knicks—featuring Latrell Sprewell, Allen Houston, Chris Childs, and Marcus Camby—won Game 3 89-81 at Madison Square Garden. Still, the Spurs kept their edge early and set the tone from the start.
The Game 1 pattern followed San Antonio into later Finals runs. In Game 1 of the 2003 Finals, San Antonio defeated the New Jersey Nets 101-89. The Spurs went on to win their second NBA title in six games.
In 2005, San Antonio opened the NBA Finals by beating the Detroit Pistons 84-69 in Game 1, eventually winning the series in seven games. Then in 2014, the Spurs won Game 1 110-95 over the Miami Heat before finishing the job, winning their 5th NBA title in five games.
Put it all together and San Antonio is 6-0 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Every one of those victories came at home in San Antonio.
That’s why this Finals matchup feels even sharper than a typical start. The Spurs carry both history and home-court advantage into what is already shaping up to be a highly anticipated NBA Finals. Most have the Spurs listed as the favorite to win their 6th NBA title.
For Knicks fans watching Wednesday’s opening game line up. the appeal isn’t just the old-school rematch of the 1999 Finals—it’s the chance to break a streak that has outlived multiple eras of rosters. styles. and expectations. San Antonio has cleared Game 1 every time in its Finals history. The Knicks now face the task of making their Game 1 moment the one that finally snaps the pattern.
NBA Finals San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks Game 1 record David Robinson Tim Duncan Spurs history