Newly-minted 2026 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are all set to meet the San Antonio Spurs at the Western Conference finals this week. Their first game will be in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET, you can catch coverage on NBC and Peacock. The Eastern Conference final has also been set; the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the New York Knicks in a series that begins on Tuesday. Stay up-to-date with the latest news out of both series by checking out our playoff hub.
Here’s what you need to know to watch tonight’s first Western Conference final game between the Spurs and the Thunder, and check out the schedule for the rest of this week’s conference finals below.
How to watch the Thunder vs. Spurs Game 1:
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Date: May 18, 2026
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
TV channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, YouTube TV and more
Spurs vs. Thunder game time:
Game 1 between the Spurs and the Thunder tips off Monday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Spurs vs. Thunder Game 1 channel:
The first Western Conference final game between the Spurs and Thunder will air on NBC.
How to watch the Spurs vs. Thunder Game 1 without cable:
Monday’s Spurs vs. Thunder game will stream live on Peacock. You can also tune in to NBC on platforms like DirecTV, YouTube TV and more.
Peacock
Stream the Western Conference finals on Peacock
Peacock
Starting at $11/month, a Peacock subscription will get you access to some of this year’s NBA playoff games and so much more.
Plus, Peacock also provides access thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office. For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
$11/month at Peacock
Watch NBC, ABC, and more
DirecTV
DirecTV’s Choice tier (currently $104.98/month after fees for your first three months) gets you access to nearly every channel you need to watch sports throughout the year, including NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN, and NBA TV (plus an abundance of local RSNs). DirecTV Choice (and most other DirecTV plans) also come with free ESPN Unlimited, which gets you access to every ESPN channel, an amazing value and a must for watching tons of sports all year round.
DirecTV offers a free trial on any tier, so you can try it all out at low risk. After your free trial and new subscriber month deal on DirecTV’s Choice tier, the monthly price goes up to $115/month (after fees). If you’re interested in trying a live TV streaming service but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
Try free at DirecTV
Watch NBC, ABC, ESPN and more
YouTube TV
Try free at YouTube TV
Prime Video
Watch the NBA playoffs on Prime Video
Prime Video
This NBA Playoff season, fans have been able to watch more than 20 post-season games on Prime Video, including tonight’s Spurs vs. Wolves matchup.
On top of Amazon Prime Video, an Amazon Prime subscription includes free shipping, exclusive deals, Amazon Music, a year of free Grubhub+, and more. A standard Amazon Prime subscription is $15 monthly or $139 annually, but discounts are available for students and those on qualified government assistance. You can try Amazon Prime for 30 days free.
From $14.99/month at Prime Video
More ways to watch the NBA playoffs:
Watch the NBA playoffs on Prime Video
Prime Video
From $14.99/month at Prime Video
Get Peacock free with Walmart+
Peacock
Try free at Walmart+
Watch NBC, ABC, ESPN and more
Hulu + Live TV
Try free for 3 days at Hulu
Watch select games with League Pass
NBA League Pass
$24.99/month at NBA League Pass
2026 NBA playoffs schedule:
All times Eastern
May 18
-
San Antonio Spurs vs. OKC Thunder: 8:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Tuesday, May 19
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, May 20
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San Antonio Spurs vs. OKC Thunder: 8:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Thursday, May 21
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, May 22
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OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: 8:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Saturday, May 23
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Sunday, May 24
-
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: 8 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Monday, May 25
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New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, May 26
-
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: 8:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Wednesday, May 27
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, May 28
-
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs: 8:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Friday, May 29
-
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, May 30
-
San Antonio Spurs vs. OKC Thunder: 8 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Sunday, May 31
-
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Remaining NBA playoffs key dates:
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May 4: Conference Semifinals begin
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May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin on ESPN/ABC (can move up to May 17)
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May 20: Western Conference Finals begin on NBC/Peacock (can move up to May 18)
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June 3: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 1 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 5: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 2 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 8: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 3 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 10: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 4 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
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June 13: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 5 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
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June 16: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 6 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
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June 19: NBA Finals 2026 – Game 7 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
