The 2026 NBA conference finals feature the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs after a week of decisive results in the conference semifinals. The Thunder swept past the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs eliminated Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, the Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cavaliers closed out the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a Game 7 blowout, according to the series summaries.
In the Eastern Conference matchup, the experts polled heavily favor the Knicks over the Cavaliers. In the 11-expert roundup, eight predicted New York would advance while three backed Cleveland. A majority of those experts also named Jalen Brunson as the likely series MVP, with a smaller number choosing Donovan Mitchell or Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Western Conference projections show a narrower lean toward the Thunder. Seven experts picked Oklahoma City to prevail over San Antonio while five favored the Spurs. Most experts who forecast a Thunder victory tabbed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the series MVP candidate; several others instead selected Victor Wembanyama, and one named Jalen Williams.
The conference finals begin Monday, and the experts’ consensus in the poll favors the Knicks and the Thunder as the teams most likely to reach the NBA Finals. The poll also highlights Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander as the leading MVP choices for their respective series, with Mitchell, Towns and Wembanyama cited as alternative picks.
