OKLAHOMA CITY. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-111 in the decisive Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, capturing the West title and securing their return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. Led by Victor Wembanyama, who scored 22 points, the Texans completed one of the biggest surprises of these playoffs by eliminating the defending champion on their home court.
The victory sends San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals, where they will face the New York Knicks in the series opener next Wednesday.
As had happened in the first game of the series, the Spurs struck in Oklahoma City from the opening tip. The team led by head coach Mitch Johnson showed tremendous poise in a hostile environment and quickly took control of the scoreboard thanks to the outside shooting of Julian Champagnie and the leadership of Wembanyama.
San Antonio led by as much as 14 points during the first half, taking advantage of the offensive struggles of a Thunder team missing the presence of Jalen Williams, again sidelined by injury. However, Oklahoma City responded before halftime and managed to stay alive thanks to an inspired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The MVP kept the defending champion afloat throughout the night. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points and 9 assists, leading every comeback attempt by a Thunder team that never stopped competing despite trailing for much of the game.
After halftime, San Antonio opened up the lead again. Wembanyama dominated on both ends of the floor, while Champagnie punished from beyond the arc. The small forward finished with 20 points, 18 of them from three-point range, becoming one of the great unsung heroes of the series clincher.
Still, Oklahoma City Thunder responded once more. After falling 11 points behind in the third quarter, the home team rallied and entered the final period with the score wide open. The 80-77 advantage for San Antonio perfectly reflected the tightness of a Game 7 worthy of a conference finals.
The difference came in the crucial final minutes. The Spurs found offensive answers when they needed them most and, above all, made several key defensive plays. The most important came midway through the fourth quarter, when Luke Kornet unexpectedly appeared to block a layup attempt by Isaiah Hartenstein that would have cut the deficit to just four points.
That play turned out to be one of the pivotal moments of the night. Oklahoma City couldn't find the momentum to complete the comeback, and San Antonio managed the lead down the stretch.
Beyond Wembanyama's 22 points and Champagnie's 20, the Spurs received contributions across their entire rotation. Stephon Castle scored 16 points, De'Aaron Fox added 15, Dylan Harper contributed 12, and both Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell finished with 11 points each.
For Oklahoma City Thunder, beyond Gilgeous-Alexander's 35 points and 9 assists, Cason Wallace added 17 points, while Jared McCain and Alex Caruso contributed 12 each. However, the champion couldn't overcome the absences or find the consistency needed to defend their crown.
Oklahoma City's elimination guarantees that the NBA will have a different champion for the eighth consecutive season. The Thunder close out a great campaign, while San Antonio definitively confirms their return to the elite of the league.
The Spurs won eight of the twelve matchups against Oklahoma City this season, including the most important one of all. Now, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will look to win four more games against the New York Knicks to complete one of the most surprising stories of the NBA season.