In 1999 the Knicks and Spurs played for the NBA championship. San Antonio took home the title and New York hasn't been back since. Nearly 30 years later, Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson bring them together again, this time with a 53-year Knicks championship drought on the line.

Separately, the Stanley Cup Final continues with Game 2 tonight, and the French Open heads into the Finals with a wide open field. Favorites Sinner, Djokovic, Gauff, and Świątek are all out, meaning new champions will be crowned on both sides this weekend.

Here's your weekend preview starting with what matters most.

The stakes: This is a rematch of the 1999 Finals, where the Spurs secured the title in five games. The Knicks haven’t been back since. For decades, New York fans have been waiting to reclaim a championship that has eluded the city since 1973, enduring constant heartbreak along the way, from the Carmelo Anthony era's tough playoff exits to recent postseason daggers delivered by Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton. Now, that suffering might finally end. New York is riding a historic 12-game playoff winning streak, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 24 points.

Meanwhile, the Spurs have kickstarted the Victor Wembanyama era and it’s ahead of schedule. Despite a roster with little playoff experience, San Antonio just survived a brutal 7 game series against the reigning champion Thunder. If Wembanyama can lead his team to a title in just his third year, it permanently cements his rise as the new face of the NBA.

What to watch for: Wembanyama vs Karl-Anthony Towns. This will be a key matchup in this series. While Wemby's combination of length and skill makes him virtually unguardable for most of the league, KAT held him to 2-12 shooting in Game 1 and was able to push him out of the paint without picking up cheap fouls, a problem he’s stuggled with. He’s a huge reason why the Knicks were able to go 2-1 against the Spurs this season including beating them in the NBA Cup. Wemby's dominance is real, but the Knicks have already proven they have the personnel to slow him down.

What Friday’s Game 2 means: After dropping Game 1 at home, Game 2 becomes a virtual must-win for the Spurs to avoid staring down a daunting deficit as the series shifts to a hostile Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4. They need to win Friday to avoid heading into New York playing for their season.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]: Spurs -5.5. Expect the Spurs to bounce back and cover the spread in this one. Since 2000, home teams that drop Game 1 of a playoff series cover the spread in Game 2 at a 62.4% clip. The Spurs have been dominant at home this season and came off an emotional 7-game series against the Thunder heading into Game 1. Expect a highly focused Spurs squad to comfortably cover the 5.5-point spread to even up the series in a bounceback spot.

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The stakes: Carolina has finally broken through to win the Eastern Conference, gliding through the first three rounds with ease. The Canes went a staggering 12-1 through the conference bracket to reach the Final for the first time since winning the Cup in 2006.

Standing in their way is a Vegas team that swept them in the regular season series. They made a shocking coaching change with just eight games left in the regular season, replacing Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella, and the gamble has paid off. Tortorella has unlocked this roster powered by former Toronto superstar Mitch Marner, currently leading all playoff players with 21 points.

What to watch for: Carolina’s second line. If Carolina wants to even the series, they need their second line to show up. The trio of veteran winger Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake entered the Final as one of the most formidable lines in hockey, but they went completely pointless with just six collective shots in Game 1. In a major pressure spot after losing Game 1, they’ll need to remind everyone why that second line was considered one of the most dangerous in hockey entering this Final.

What Tonight’s Game 2 means: This is a total desperation spot for Carolina. By dropping Game 1 at home, the Hurricanes have pushed themselves into a corner. Heading out to Vegas down 0-2 against a veteran championship core puts the Hurricanes in a hole that is historically almost impossible to dig out of. Carolina must clean up the unforced errors and defend their home ice on tonight to prevent Vegas from taking a hold on the series.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]: Over 5.5 goals. Vegas has turned into an offensive powerhouse under Tortorella. Combine that with a Carolina team that scored four goals on Tuesday despite their top line being held scoreless, and all signs point to another high-scoring affair. Expect fireworks in Game 2.

For the first time since 1968, not a single former Grand Slam champion reached the men's semifinals at a major, with giants like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner upset in the first week. On the women's side, four-time defending champion Iga Świątek was shockingly eliminated guaranteeing we will see first-time French Open champions crowned on both the men's and women's sides this weekend. The path to a career-defining title has never been more open.

Men’s Contenders to Watch:

Women’s Contenders to Watch:

Must-watch:

Worth tuning in:

— Backdrop Sports

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