The San Antonio Spurs secured their spot in the NBA Finals with a decisive 111-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday’s Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, marking their first championship series appearance since capturing their fifth title in 2014.
Victor Wembanyama delivered a stellar performance with 22 points and seven rebounds to propel the Spurs to the road victory. The team will now face the New York Knicks in the Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday in San Antonio.
The advancement of both San Antonio and New York ensures that the NBA will crown its eighth different champion over the past eight seasons. Oklahoma City’s elimination also means the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors remain the most recent team to capture consecutive championships.
Julian Champagnie provided crucial support for the Spurs, contributing 20 points while connecting on six of his 10 three-point attempts. He scored 11 of those points during the third quarter.
A pivotal moment came with less than seven minutes remaining when Wembanyama was forced to the bench with five fouls while his team held a 97-91 advantage. Luke Kornet, who stepped in as Wembanyama’s replacement, made an immediate impact by blocking Isaiah Hartenstein’s attempted dunk following a steal. Dylan Harper secured the rebound, and Stephon Castle converted at the opposite end.
Following an Oklahoma City turnover, Wembanyama returned to the game as Kornet headed back to the bench amid enthusiastic celebrations from his teammates. Moments later, Champagnie connected on his sixth three-pointer to extend San Antonio’s lead to 11 points.
Although the Thunder managed to cut the deficit to six points with 2:02 remaining, the Spurs maintained their composure and finished strong to secure the series victory.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered what may have been his finest performance of the series for Oklahoma City, recording 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting while adding nine assists and three steals. However, Chet Holmgren struggled significantly, managing only four points on two shot attempts and failing to take a shot during the entire second half. Alex Caruso also had difficulties, shooting just 3-of-14 from the field for 12 points.
San Antonio established an early advantage for the fourth time in five games, building a commanding 14-point lead just seven minutes into the contest with a 27-13 score. De’Aaron Fox contributed significantly to this early surge with a three-pointer, an assist, and two steals during the 17-7 run.
In the closing minute of the first quarter, an incident occurred when Wembanyama’s elbow made contact with Hartenstein during a drive attempt. Officials initially called a foul on Hartenstein, and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault received a technical foul. Oklahoma City successfully challenged the call, having it reversed to an offensive foul, though it was not upgraded to a technical.
The Thunder mounted a comeback late in the second quarter, using a 20-5 run to claim their first lead in the series since the conclusion of Game 5. Gilgeous-Alexander sparked this rally by scoring the first seven points and nine of the first 11 Oklahoma City points during the surge.
However, San Antonio responded by scoring the final seven points of the half to reclaim a 56-53 halftime advantage.
The third quarter proved decisive as Champagnie scored 11 points during a dominant 16-2 San Antonio run that established a 76-65 lead for the Spurs.
