Victor Wembanyama Masterclass Leads Spurs Past Thunder in Double Overtime, Steals Home Court (122-115) [0-1]

OKLAHOMA CITY. The San Antonio Spurs struck first in the Western Conference Finals, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a spectacular double-overtime thriller. Victor Wembanyama delivered an absolutely historic performance with 41 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Texas team to victory and snap the defending champion's undefeated playoff run.

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The French star decided the game in the final minutes of the second overtime with two consecutive dunks, one of them completing a 2+1 play that sealed the contest and allowed San Antonio to steal home court.

The Spurs won their fifth victory in six matchups this season against the Oklahoma City Thunder and opened the Western Finals with a serious message to the defending champion.

Victor Wembanyama once again demonstrated why he is already one of the most dominant figures in the entire NBA. The Frenchman controlled both sides of the floor from the opening tip and constantly punished Oklahoma City's interior defense, finishing near the rim, dominating the glass, and appearing in every crucial moment.

San Antonio also managed to survive without De'Aaron Fox, who was absent due to ankle soreness. In his place, Dylan Harper delivered what was arguably the best game of his young playoff career with 24 points and a franchise record with seven steals.

Stephon Castle added 17 points, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson contributed 13 each for a Spurs team that once again demonstrated enormous competitive depth.

The game started with the Oklahoma City Thunder trying to impose their usual offensive pace as the defending champion, but San Antonio responded quickly through defense and rebounding. Wembanyama began dominating in the paint and punishing even situations where he was surrounded by multiple defenders.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an extremely difficult first half. The newly named MVP had his worst scoring start in nearly three years, finishing the first half with just four points on 1-of-5 shooting.

It was the first time since October 2023 that Gilgeous-Alexander failed to reach at least two made baskets before halftime.

Still, Oklahoma City managed to stay relatively close thanks to an enormous performance from Alex Caruso. The veteran shooting guard exploded offensively off the bench and finished with 31 points, the second-best scoring output of his entire NBA career.

Jalen Williams also returned after six games missed due to injury and contributed 26 points to keep the Thunder competitive.

San Antonio dominated much of the game and built a 10-point lead with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. However, Oklahoma City responded again led by Gilgeous-Alexander and forced a completely chaotic finish.

In the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, the lead changed hands twice and the game featured three separate ties in a spectacular ending.

Wembanyama even had the shot to win at the regulation buzzer, but Chet Holmgren managed to block the attempt and sent the game to overtime.

The deadlock continued during the first overtime, where neither team could definitively break the game open. But in the second overtime, the most dominant version of Victor Wembanyama appeared.

The Frenchman constantly punished opponents near the rim, grabbed crucial rebounds, and closed out the game with two consecutive dunks that left the Paycom Center completely silenced.

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffer their first loss of these NBA playoffs after accumulating nine consecutive victories since last season's NBA Finals. Additionally, the defending champion immediately loses home court in a Western Finals that is already starting with maximum competitive intensity.

Game 2 will be played again this Wednesday in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder will attempt to respond quickly to avoid traveling to San Antonio with a dangerous 0-2 series deficit.