The Western Conference Finals are set to kick off tonight, May 18th, with the San Antonio Spurs taking on the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s been quite some time—since 1998, in fact—since these two teams faced off in the playoffs. Both teams achieved impressive seasons, each finishing with 62 wins, which makes for an exciting matchup highlighting young talent against solid defense.
The Thunder enter Game 1 with an undefeated postseason record of 8-0; they swept past the Suns and the Lakers in earlier rounds. Meanwhile, the Spurs have also been on a roll, winning eight of their last 11 games and holding a 4-1 record in the regular season against Oklahoma City this year.
NBA Western Conference Finals: What you need to know
- What: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- When: May 18th, 8:30 PM ET
- Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Channel: NBC
- Streaming: DIRECTV
The series spotlights players like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, who are quickly becoming notable rivals in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time NBA MVP, leads the Thunder while enjoying home-court advantage. On the other hand, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s defensive strategies will aim to control the pace of the game.
The following game in the Western Conference Finals is already lined up for Wednesday night.
Spurs vs. Thunder start time:
Game 1 is set to begin tonight, May 18th, at 8:30 PM ET.
How to watch Spurs vs. Thunder for free:
For those without cable, you can use a live TV streaming service to catch the game. DIRECTV offers a free five-day trial, which includes NBC and other essential channels for the rest of the playoffs. After the trial, you can continue watching over 90 live channels for a starting price of $44.99 per month.
Additionally, you can stream the NBA Playoffs using a Peacock subscription, available for $16.99 per month after a seven-day free trial.
NBA Western Conference Finals Schedule
- Game 1: May 18 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 2: May 20 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 3: May 22 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 4: May 24 (8 PM ET, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 5: May 26 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)*
- Game 6: May 28 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)*
- Game 7: May 30 (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock)*
* if necessary
