NBA history rewritten as Conference Finals openers extend into overtime

The 2026 NBA Playoffs have etched a new chapter in the league’s 79-year history, marking the first time that both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals Game 1 matches have gone to overtime. This unprecedented occurrence follows a pair of high-stakes contests involving the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers, all of whom delivered performances that defied historical precedent.

In the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime. The Spurs secured the victory on the Thunder’s home court, rallying behind Victor Wembanyama despite the absence of De'Aaron Fox. The contest remained tightly contested through regulation and the first overtime period, with the Thunder matching the Spurs’ intensity before San Antonio pulled away in the second extra session to claim the series opener.

On the other side of the bracket, the New York Knicks overcame a significant deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime. Cleveland had established a commanding 22-point lead, a margin that had only been overturned four times in 751 prior Conference Finals Game 1 instances in league history. The Knicks’ comeback, driven by contributions from Mikal Bridges, who scored 18 points, and OG Anunoby, who added 13 points upon his return from a strained right hamstring, shifted the momentum decisively.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 29 points in the loss, having established an early advantage that ultimately evaporated in the final minutes. The Knicks’ victory extends their winning streak to eight consecutive games and moves them within three wins of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. This win serves as a stark contrast to last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, where New York blew a 14-point lead in regulation against the Indiana Pacers.

The simultaneous overtime outcomes in both conferences highlight a competitive parity that has characterised the early stages of the 2026 playoffs. With the series now poised for Game 2, the focus shifts to whether these franchises can sustain this level of intensity over a seven-game series, or if the historical novelty of the opening round will give way to more traditional patterns of dominance.