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NBA Conference Finals 2026 Schedule in GMT and EST
During the 2026 NBA Conference Finals, Eastern Time is EDT, so GMT is 4 hours ahead. An 8:00 p.m. EDT game starts at 00:00 GMT the next day, and an 8:30 p.m. EDT game starts at 00:30 GMT the next day.
The 2026 NBA Conference Finals are underway, and the late Eastern Time tip-offs can be awkward for international fans. The official matchups are Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs in the West and New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.
This guide converts the official Conference Finals schedule from Eastern Daylight Time to GMT, with extra local-time references for the UK, Europe, South Asia and Australia.
Today’s NBA Conference Finals Game: May 21, 2026
On Thursday, May 21, the official NBA schedule lists one Conference Finals game: Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks, Game 2.
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers at Knicks, Game 2
| Time Zone | Tip-Off |
|---|---|
| EDT, US East | 8:00 p.m. Thu, May 21 |
| GMT | 00:00 Fri, May 22 |
| BST, UK | 1:00 a.m. Fri, May 22 |
| CEST, Central Europe | 2:00 a.m. Fri, May 22 |
| PKT, Pakistan | 5:00 a.m. Fri, May 22 |
| IST, India | 5:30 a.m. Fri, May 22 |
| AEST, Australia East | 10:00 a.m. Fri, May 22 |
Series status: Knicks lead 1-0. New York won Game 1, 115-104 in overtime.
Full Conference Finals Schedule in GMT
All listed Eastern times are EDT because the games are played in May, during US daylight saving time. Add 4 hours to convert EDT to GMT.
Western Conference Finals: Thunder vs Spurs
The West series is tied 1-1 after San Antonio won Game 1 and Oklahoma City answered in Game 2. Games 3 and 4 shift to San Antonio.
| Game | US Date | Eastern Tip-Off | GMT Tip-Off | GMT Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Mon, May 18 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Tue, May 19, Spurs won 122-115 |
| Game 2 | Wed, May 20 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Thu, May 21, Thunder won 122-113 |
| Game 3 | Fri, May 22 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Sat, May 23 |
| Game 4 | Sun, May 24 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Mon, May 25 |
| Game 5* | Tue, May 26 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Wed, May 27 |
| Game 6* | Thu, May 28 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Fri, May 29 |
| Game 7* | Sat, May 30 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Sun, May 31 |
*If necessary.
Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks vs Cavaliers
New York leads the East series 1-0 after winning Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. Cleveland needs a response in Game 2 before the series moves to Ohio.
| Game | US Date | Eastern Tip-Off | GMT Tip-Off | GMT Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tue, May 19 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Wed, May 20, Knicks won 115-104 |
| Game 2 | Thu, May 21 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Fri, May 22 |
| Game 3 | Sat, May 23 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Sun, May 24 |
| Game 4 | Mon, May 25 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Tue, May 26 |
| Game 5* | Wed, May 27 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Thu, May 28 |
| Game 6* | Fri, May 29 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Sat, May 30 |
| Game 7* | Sun, May 31 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Mon, Jun 1 |
*If necessary.
EDT vs GMT: Why the Offset Is 4 Hours
NBA playoff schedules usually show times as ET, but in May the correct Eastern Time abbreviation is EDT, not EST.
EST is Eastern Standard Time, which is UTC-5 and applies during the winter standard-time period. EDT is Eastern Daylight Time, which is UTC-4 and applies from March through early November.
That means the 2026 NBA Conference Finals use this simple conversion:
- EDT to GMT: add 4 hours
- GMT to EDT: subtract 4 hours
For example, an 8:30 p.m. EDT tip-off becomes 00:30 GMT the next day. An 8:00 p.m. EDT tip-off becomes 00:00 GMT at midnight the next day.
Quick GMT Reference for NBA Tip-Off Times
Use this cheat sheet for common NBA playoff broadcast windows:
| Game Listed As | GMT Equivalent | Calendar Date Changes? |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 p.m. EDT | 17:00 GMT | No |
| 3:30 p.m. EDT | 19:30 GMT | No |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT | 23:00 GMT | No |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | 00:00 GMT | Yes, next day |
| 8:30 p.m. EDT | 00:30 GMT | Yes, next day |
| 9:00 p.m. EDT | 01:00 GMT | Yes, next day |
| 10:00 p.m. EDT | 02:00 GMT | Yes, next day |
The 8:00-8:30 p.m. Eastern slots are the most important for the Conference Finals. In GMT countries, they land at midnight or just after midnight on the following date.
Local Viewing Times Outside the US
United Kingdom and Ireland: Most 8:00 p.m. EDT games begin at 1:00 a.m. BST or IST, while 8:30 p.m. EDT games begin at 1:30 a.m.
Germany, France, Spain and Central Europe: Central European Summer Time is GMT+2, so games usually begin at 2:00 a.m. or 2:30 a.m.
Pakistan: PKT is GMT+5, putting the Conference Finals in the 5:00-5:30 a.m. window.
India: IST is GMT+5:30, so 8:00 p.m. EDT games start at 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. EDT games start at 6:00 a.m.
Australia East: AEST is GMT+10, making most Conference Finals games a mid-morning start at 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
How We Got Here
Oklahoma City reached the West Finals as the No. 1 seed after sweeping Phoenix in the first round and the Lakers in the second round. San Antonio beat Portland in five games, then eliminated Minnesota in six.
In the East, Cleveland survived two seven-game rounds against Toronto and Detroit. New York beat Atlanta in six in the first round, then swept Philadelphia in the second round.
Keep Checking Official Tip-Offs
This schedule is based on the NBA’s official playoff schedule as updated on May 21, 2026. Game times can still change because of broadcast decisions or series length, especially for if-necessary games.
For any NBA game time conversion, enter the listed Eastern tip-off into the converter on this site and choose your local timezone. It will handle the EDT offset automatically.
Sources & References
- 2026 NBA Play-in Tournament, Playoffs & Finals Schedule — NBA.com
- 2026 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals — NBA.com
- 2026 Playoffs: West Final — NBA.com
- Local Time FAQs — National Institute of Standards and Technology