EARLY call times were never going to stop Filipino fans from showing up for the 2026 NBA Finals.
As the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs battled in Game 2, more than 120 fans gathered in Bigger Pictures, Mandaluyong for Prime Video’s NBA Finals Watch Party —proving that in the Philippines, 8:30 a.m. tip-offs still feel like primetime when the stakes are this high.
Coffee cups, jerseys, and loud reactions filled the showroom, as fans watched the Knicks escape with a thrilling 105-104 win to take a 2-0 series lead over the Spurs.
Prime Video turned the venue into a full basketball fan experience, complete with an NBA-inspired entrance tunnel, giant viewing screens, halftime entertainment, fan games, and interactive booths like the Shoot Arcade and Pass Game challenge.
Every clutch basket and momentum swing drew cheers from the crowd, especially during the tense closing moments of the one-point game.
Philippines, forever a basketball country
The event highlighted how Filipino fans continue to build routines around the NBA Finals no matter the timezone — whether that means catching games before work, during commutes, or gathering early with fellow fans for watch parties.
This finals also marks Prime Video’s first season as exclusive home of the NBA Finals in the Philippines.
READ: Cignal explains why NBA Finals won't be live on its platforms
Adding to the broadcast experience was a star-studded on-air lineup featuring former champions and international stars in Chris Bosh, Vlade Divac, Danilo Gallinari, and Nicolas Batum as studio analysts, with Allie Clifton hosting coverage and Kristina Pink reporting courtside throughout the series.
Of course, this finals also boasts of storylines galore, with New York returning to the championship stage for the first time since 1999 against the same San Antonio franchise it faced nearly three decades ago. Meanwhile, the Spurs continues to ride the breakout playoff run of French superstar Victor Wembanyama.
With Game 3 shifting to the Knicks homecourt, Filipino fans may have more early alarms ahead. But they don't seem to mind, still.
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