When you've got the greatest player in the world things happen
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 22 points and 7 rebounds, earning series MVP honors, while Julian Champagnie added 20 points including six three-pointers in the decisive victory. Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points but lacked support from teammates; Oklahoma City played without injured Jalen Williams in their title defense bid.
- Spurs defeated Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of Western Conference Finals
- Victor Wembanyama: 22 points, 7 rebounds, series MVP at age 22
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points but lacked teammate support
- NBA Finals begin Wednesday in San Antonio against the Knicks
- Spurs beat Knicks 4-1 in their last Finals matchup in 1999
San Antonio Spurs defeated reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, advancing to face the New York Knicks in the NBA finals starting Wednesday.
San Antonio's 111-103 victory over Oklahoma City on Saturday night sent the Spurs to the NBA Finals for the first time in years, where they will meet the New York Knicks beginning Wednesday at home. The reigning champion Thunder, who had seemed nearly invincible for much of the season, found themselves undone by a team built around a player they simply could not match: Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom who has reshaped what a franchise can do when it has a generational talent in its core.
Wembanyama finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, enough to earn him the series MVP award, but the Spurs' path to this moment was not a one-man show. Julian Champagnie scored 20 points and made six three-pointers. Dylan Harper provided spark off the bench. Luke Kornet, Wembanyama's backup, made a crucial block in the fourth quarter when the Thunder mounted their comeback push. These contributions mattered because the Thunder, even without their best player, refused to go quietly. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, poured in 35 points and distributed nine assists. But he was alone. No other Thunder player reached 20 points, a telling statistic in a Game 7 where depth and balance proved decisive.
Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, sidelined by a hamstring injury, which meant Gilgeous-Alexander was asked to do too much. In the final minutes, the Thunder were forced into desperation, launching three-pointers from well beyond the arc as the Spurs controlled the tempo. San Antonio answered with a breakaway dunk that sealed it, and when the final buzzer sounded, Wembanyama was in tears.
When asked about his emotional reaction, the 22-year-old spoke of a childhood dream beginning to materialize. "We're still hungry, we want more," he said. "This feeling is so powerful, I can't explain it." His teammates had clearly heard him. Champagnie, speaking after the game, credited Wembanyama's presence as the catalyst for everything that followed. "When you've got the greatest player in the world things happen," he said.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault struck a measured tone in defeat, acknowledging the sting while refusing to diminish his team's capabilities. "You have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones," he said. "There's nobody that we don't think we can beat, respectfully." It was the kind of statement a coach makes when his team has been humbled but not broken.
For the Spurs, history offers a curious comfort. The last time the Knicks reached the Finals, in 1999, they faced San Antonio. The Spurs won that series 4-1. Whether that precedent matters in 2026 remains to be seen, but the Spurs will arrive in the Finals as a team that has just defeated the defending champions, carrying the momentum of a young superstar who has proven he can perform when everything is on the line.
Notable Quotes
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.— Victor Wembanyama, after clinching the Finals berth
You have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones. There's nobody that we don't think we can beat, respectfully.— Thunder coach Mark Daigneault
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the Thunder, who seemed so dominant all season, suddenly look vulnerable in this series?
Because Wembanyama is a different kind of problem. He's seven-foot-four, he can guard anyone, and he doesn't need the ball to impact the game. The Thunder's whole identity is built around Gilgeous-Alexander creating advantages. When you have a player who can neutralize that, who can defend multiple positions and finish at the rim, it changes everything.
But Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points. That's not a failure of performance.
No, it's a failure of support. In a Game 7, you need your second and third options to step up. The Thunder had none of that. Jalen Williams was hurt. Everyone else was quiet. Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant and it wasn't enough.
Wembanyama was crying at the end. Is that just relief, or something deeper?
He said it was about a childhood dream coming true. He's 22 years old and he's just beaten the defending champions to reach the Finals. That's not just relief. That's the weight of expectation finally being met.
What happens when these teams meet the Knicks?
The Spurs have history on their side—they beat New York 4-1 in 1999. But the Knicks made it here too, which means they're not a team to dismiss. The real question is whether Wembanyama can sustain this level of play over a longer series.