The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday to advance to the NBA Finals.
The victory marks San Antonio’s first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2014, ending an incredible seven-game series between the two sides.
Victor Wembanyama was named Western Conference Finals MVP after leading all Spurs scorers with 22 points in the decisive game.
The French center played a team-high 42 minutes while adding seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in the victory.
Wembanyama drained three three-pointers in Game 7, giving him 16 for the series, making him the first player in NBA history with at least 15 makes from beyond the arc and 15 blocks in a single playoff series.
Chet Holmgren’s performance drew sharp scrutiny after the Thunder center finished with just four points on two shot attempts in the loss.
Coach Mark Daigneault benched Holmgren for the closing possessions as the center shied away from the moment rather than demanding the ball late.
Holmgren averaged 10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and one assist per game across the seven-game series, falling well short of expectations for Oklahoma City’s supposed second-best player.
He is set to enter the first year of a five-year, $239.25 million extension, and his struggles raise uncomfortable questions about his ability to perform in high-pressure situations.
Holmgren also struggled in last year’s NBA Finals, though that was overshadowed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliance and Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury early in Game 7.
Gilgeous-Alexander delivered an outstanding individual performance in the loss, scoring 35 points on 57.1 percent shooting while posting team-highs of nine assists and three steals.
However, his supporting cast largely failed him, with Lu Dort struggling for minutes and Alex Caruso shooting 3-of-14 from the court in 39 minutes off the bench.
Oklahoma City’s second unit shot just 4-of-18 from three-point range, and only Jaylin Williams, who recorded a double-double, and Cason Wallace with 17 points offered meaningful support.
Rookie Dylan Harper was a standout performer for San Antonio off the bench, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds including three offensive, and three assists.
His three-pointer with 3:45 remaining gave the Spurs a 107-95 lead, a 12-point advantage that proved decisive in closing out the game.
Per The Associated Press’ Josh Dubow, Harper’s 84 points in the series were the most by a player aged 20 or younger since Magic Johnson scored 87 points in 1980.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft has consistently stepped up throughout these playoffs, serving as an ancillary option to Wembanyama with impressive maturity.
San Antonio’s triumph is a remarkable achievement given the franchise finished 34-48 and 13th in the Western Conference just last season.
Since the ABA-NBA merger, only the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Boston Celtics in 2008 have won the league title a year after finishing with a losing record.
The Spurs now have the chance to become the third team to achieve that feat, having rewritten the expected timeline of their rebuild in stunning fashion.
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