Spurs Dethrone OKC in Game 7 to Reach NBA Finals

San Antonio Spurs dethroned defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder with a thrilling 111-103 Game 7 victory on the road to book their place in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

Led by Western Conference Finals MVP Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs completed a dramatic 4-3 series comeback against the 64-win Thunder to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since the Tim Duncan era.

Wembanyama finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block in Game 7, capping off a dominant series that confirmed the 22-year-old as the NBA’s newest postseason superstar.

In emotional scenes after the final buzzer at Paycom Center, Wembanyama screamed in celebration before breaking down in tears as teammates mobbed him on the court.

“Winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s a childhood dream,” Wembanyama said after the game.

“Having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance at winning it, realizing a dream… it’s almost like the meaning of my life.”

San Antonio’s young core once again delivered under pressure.

Stephon Castle continued his breakout postseason run with 16 points, while rookie Dylan Harper added 12 points and several huge late-game plays, including a clutch three-pointer that helped seal the win.

De’Aaron Fox, playing through a high ankle sprain, contributed 15 points and three steals in one of his best performances of the series.

For Oklahoma City, back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced a heroic effort with 35 points and nine assists, but the Thunder struggled to find enough support offensively.

Chet Holmgren finished with only four points and four rebounds, while injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell left Oklahoma City short-handed throughout the series.

Despite the heartbreak, Gilgeous-Alexander praised the Spurs after the game.

“They’re young, talented, well-coached and they play together,” Shai said.

“You don’t beat us without having the makeup to go get a championship.”

The Western Conference Finals delivered drama throughout the seven games:

• Game 1: Spurs 122-115 Thunder (2OT)
• Game 2: Thunder 122-113 Spurs
• Game 3: Thunder 123-108 Spurs
• Game 4: Spurs 103-82 Thunder
• Game 5: Thunder 127-114 Spurs
• Game 6: Spurs 118-91 Thunder
• Game 7: Spurs 111-103 Thunder

Wembanyama’s unforgettable Game 1 masterpiece proved to be the turning point of the series. The French star exploded for 41 points and 24 rebounds, including a deep three-pointer to force overtime before dominating the extra session.

Across the series, Wembanyama averaged 28.2 points and 11.8 rebounds while recording 19 total blocks the most in a conference finals since Alonzo Mourning in 2005 earning all nine votes for Western Conference Finals MVP.

San Antonio’s rise has happened far quicker than many expected. The Spurs won only 22 games during Wembanyama’s rookie season but have now surged into title contention behind one of the NBA’s most exciting young squads.

Standing in their way are the red-hot Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference Finals and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Led by Jalen Brunson, New York enter the Finals on an 11-game winning streak and are chasing the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973.

The Knicks won two of their three regular-season meetings against San Antonio this season, including victory in the NBA Cup final, setting the stage for a fascinating Finals showdown.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 3 in San Antonio.