HOME
•
EN (English)
•
NBA news
•
Spurs reach the Finals despite Wemby facing heavy Thunder resistance

Spurs reach the Finals despite Wemby facing heavy Thunder resistance

31/May/26 04:48

victor-wembanyama-san-antonio-spurs — Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE / Getty Images / Ideal Image

Make Your Preferred Basketball Source.

The San Antonio Spurs ride a dominant first-half cushion and a crucial 16-2 third-quarter surge led by Victor Wembanyama to hold off a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder squad, capturing a thrilling Game 7 victory

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

Triumphing 111–103 in Paycom Center on Saturday night, the San Antonio Spurs prevailed 4–3 in a thrilling best-of-seven series in the Western Conference Finals, eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder to secure their spot in the NBA Finals of the Playoffs, presented by Google.

European star power heavily influenced the narrative of this decisive series finale, led by the imposing presence of French superstar Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old center contributed an efficient 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, while tallying seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block across 42 minutes of action. On the opposing side, German starting center Isaiah Hartenstein struggled to find his footing against the length of the team coached by Mitch Johnson, finishing with just seven points and five rebounds in his 21 minutes, but drew a fifth foul on Wembanyama with 7:12 to go in the contest. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried the bulk of the offensive load for the hosts, finishing with 35 points. Serbian guard Nikola Topic did not see game action, remaining on the bench for the duration of the contest. The defending champions were also severely shorthanded coming into the elimination game, missing crucial international depth as Belgian guard Ajay Mitchell remained sidelined due to a right soleus strain, joining teammates Jalen Williams and Thomas Sorber on the injury list.

The Spurs winning the 160th Game 7 in league history and fifth of the current postseason guaranteed an eighth different champion in eight consecutive seasons, setting up a best-of-seven showdown opposite the New York Knicks. Furthermore, they continue a remarkable trend of parity in the West, becoming the seventh different Western Conference team to reach the NBA Finals in the last seven years. This victory propels San Antonio to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014, while simultaneously spoiling Oklahoma City’s bid to become the first franchise to make consecutive trips to the Finals since the Golden State Warriors in 2019.

The visitors never trailed throughout the entire first half and built a lead that peaked at 14 points. The second half brought immediate drama with four quick lead changes, but the Spurs seized absolute control by unleashing a devastating 16-2 run. Wemby punctuated the explosive surge by drilling a crucial three-pointer to push the San Antonio advantage to 76-65 with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter. While these leads were the first for the Thunder since Game 5, they proved fragile, despite clawing their way back to within shooting distance late in the third period. Ultimately, the Spurs restored a double-digit cushion once more in the fourth quarter on the way to securing the Western Conference crown.

The San Antonio Spurs are going to the NBA finals, their first in 12 years, after stealing Game 7 away in Oklahoma 😱 pic.twitter.com/ER7r6QzaS5

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 31, 2026

With the conference battles settled, the focus shifts immediately to the championship stage, as Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled to tip off in Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.