Following Oklahoma City’s defeat in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs during the Western Conference finals, Thunder standout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasted no time looking ahead to the decisive matchup.
“Oh, I’m good. I’m ready to go,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Biggest game of my career.”
Those are confident words from someone who guided his squad to a Game 7 victory in last year’s NBA Finals.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander is placing enormous significance on Saturday’s winner-take-all clash against the Spurs in Oklahoma City, with an NBA Finals spot on the line.
This marks the initial Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals since the Golden State-Houston series in 2018 and represents only the sixth Conference Finals Game 7 featuring the top two seeds since the current 16-team structure started in 1983.
The victorious team will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals starting Wednesday.
Saturday’s contest becomes the fifth Game 7 during these playoffs, matching the record for most decisive games in one postseason.
Road teams have claimed two of the previous four winner-take-all games, with the 76ers and Cavaliers completing their series with Game 7 victories away from home.
Oklahoma City aims to bounce back after San Antonio controlled Game 6 from start to finish.
“It’s a double-edged sword, right?” Oklahoma City guard Alex Caruso said. “You gotta put it behind you, clear the mind, and get ready to compete again, but also learn from what you did wrong and try to figure out how you can be better.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled with accuracy throughout the series, connecting on only 37.9% of his field goal attempts. Jalen Williams, who managed just 10 ineffective minutes in Game 6 while dealing with his left hamstring injury, has been declared unavailable for Game 7.
However, during last season’s championship campaign, the Thunder captured two Game 7 victories at home, both following Game 6 losses by double-digit margins.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault believes those past experiences will prove valuable.
“Take the lessons from tonight that are relevant for Game 7 and be ready to go out there and throw our best punch,” Daigneault said.
Though Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder possess Game 7 experience, this represents uncharted territory for the Spurs and standout Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is posting averages of 28.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game throughout the series.
Following a relatively quiet performance in Game 5, Wembanyama established dominance early in Game 6 and recorded 28 points and 10 rebounds. He’s converting 48.2% of his shots during the series.
“I think that’s his biggest growth this year is not waiting to be perfect or necessarily knowing what to do all the time,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, “but attack the moment and have the right approach and live with the results.”
Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is anticipated to continue with the team through the remainder of their playoff journey despite reports Friday indicating he’s nearing an agreement to coach Orlando.
Sweeney has played a crucial role in the defensive improvements that have transformed San Antonio into a championship contender this season.
During Thursday’s Game 6 victory, San Antonio’s defense sparked the decisive 20-0 third-quarter surge that sealed the outcome.
