San Antonio Spurs Beat Oklahoma City Thunder to Reach NBA Finals

The San Antonio Spurs secured their spot in the NBA Finals by defeating the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in a decisive Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night. This victory extends the NBA’s longest streak of seasons with a different champion to eight years.

Led by 7-foot-4 French star Victor Wembanyama, who scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, the Spurs overcame a Thunder team that began the season with a dominant 24-1 record. Wembanyama, in his third NBA season and first postseason appearance, was named the most valuable player of the conference finals after averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 48% from the field.

“This feeling, I can’t explain it,” Wembanyama said after the win. “Realizing that some part of a childhood dream is going to come true. We’re still hungry, we want more. This feeling is so powerful, I can’t explain it.”

Julian Champagnie contributed 20 points, including six three-pointers, while De’Aaron Fox added 15 points. Luke Kornet made a key block in the fourth quarter, denying a fast-break attempt by the Thunder as they tried to close the gap. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised his team’s consistency and character, stating, “The players did what they’ve been doing all year and they met the biggest moment.”

The Thunder, missing key offensive player Jalen Williams due to a hamstring injury, fought hard throughout the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 35 points and nine assists, but his efforts were not enough to extend their title defense. “Winning an NBA championship is very hard in itself to do one time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So to do it all over again would just only make it harder.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault reflected on the loss, saying, “You have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones. And it’s the NBA — there are tough ones. We can also be really disappointed. There’s nobody that we don’t think we can beat, respectfully.”

The Spurs will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the 1999 Finals when San Antonio won with their twin towers David Robinson and Tim Duncan. This year, the Spurs are led by Wembanyama, while the Knicks are riding a historic postseason run, having won 11 consecutive games by an average of 23.8 points.

Game 1 of the Finals is scheduled for June 3 in San Antonio, followed by Game 2 on June 5. The series then moves to New York for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10. Both teams are coached by leaders in their first full seasons: Mitch Johnson for the Spurs and Mike Brown for the Knicks.

The Spurs’ path to the Finals included a first-round win against Portland and a six-game series victory over Minnesota. They then overcame the Thunder after trailing 3-2 in the conference finals. “We want four more,” Wembanyama said, signaling the Spurs’ championship aspirations.

This Finals appearance is San Antonio’s first since 2015 and New York’s first since 1999.