The Spurs won the Western Conference and move on to the NBA Finals after stamping out the Thunder’s hopes to repeat as champions.
In a Game 7 that delivered on all the hype, San Antonio outlasted Oklahoma City at Paycom Center, 111–103. The Spurs rode a total team effort to victory, as Victor Wembanyama paced his team with 22 points and a total of seven San Antonio players recorded double-digit scoring nights. Most importantly, the visiting side seized the momentum from the first quarter on and never let go of the rope despite constant pushing by the Thunder to close the gap.
The defending champs fell on Saturday night, but not due to the efforts of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The superstar and two-time MVP stepped up with his best game of the postseason with repeat hopes riding on his shoulders, scoring 35 points. But his teammates didn’t prove up to the task and now OKC must reflect on all that went wrong.
It was a magnificent display of basketball, the exact sort of competition we all want to see this late in the postseason. As the Spurs head back to the NBA Finals, where the Knicks await, here are our three takeaways from Saturday night’s Game 7 victory.
The Spurs didn’t flinch and punched their NBA Finals ticket
The Spurs bravely ventured into the belly of the beast on Saturday night and emerged not unscathed, but victorious all the same.
Coming off their Game 6 win at home to even the series, the Spurs hit the road for Game 7 against the defending champions, and San Antonio did not flinch. The Spurs took an early lead and staved off numerous pushes by the Thunder to hold on to it. When Gilgeous-Alexander went on a ridiculous spree of shotmaking across the second and third quarters, they held strong. When OKC got the lead down to six with minutes remaining after it seemed like San Antonio might run away with it, the visitors didn’t budge. Even when Cason Wallace ripped off a stunning run of shots to bring it back within six in the last minute … through it all, the Spurs stood tall.
It was remarkable. Some teams, maybe most teams, would have blinked when faced with a screaming home crowd trying to will their team to a Game 7 win and a second straight NBA Finals appearance. They would have stumbled under a flurry of shots from a two-time MVP or multiple momentum-shifting plays from the Thunder’s cadre of ludicrously talented role players.
Not these Spurs. Sometimes teams this young can carry an air of almost willful ignorance—they’re too inexperienced to recognize the enormity of the moment in front of them. That isn’t the case in San Antonio. Wembanyama and his teammates knew the opportunity was within reach. They knew OKC wouldn’t just hand them the win. They had to take it—over and over and over again. Big plays had to be made at every juncture to keep the Thunder at bay, from big rebounds to recovering in time to contest a quality shot.
And they did it. The Spurs freaking did it. The burning spotlight of Game 7 with everything on the line did not move them. As a team, San Antonio was unflappable, unstoppable and now they move on to the NBA Finals.
Role players defined the game and spurred San Antonio to a win
The stars definitely “starred” in Game 7, as SGA finished with 35 points and Wemby had 22. But as is often the case in the deciding game of a series that goes the distance, it was the role players who determined the outcome. That was true on Saturday night.
The Spurs will live to fight another day thanks to their secondary players outshining the Thunder’s. Julian Champagnie was 6 for 10 from three-point range. Stephon Castle, in addition to his typically sticky defense on Gilgeous-Alexander, had 12 points in the first and his final bucket (a putback after an offensive rebound to give his team an eight-point lead with a minute left) was arguably the biggest of the whole night. Luke Kornet, heavily criticized this series for his inability to hold down the fort as the backup center when Wembanyama needed a breather, made an amazing fourth-quarter play in hustling back to reject Isaiah Hartenstein on a breakaway basket that swung the momentum San Antonio’s way for good. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson had been largely held in check all series, but he hit two massive threes in the final quarter.
Compare that to the Thunder’s group of well-publicized role players. Wallace definitely did his job, but Lu Dort was a no-show again. Alex Caruso’s magic shooting touch finally disappeared. Jared McCain wasn’t able to muster up one last big performance. It’s not fair to say this (mostly) championship-tested group wilted in the moment, but they couldn’t take their game to the next level when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, everyone for the Spurs stepped up when their number was called. It’s what a team needs to win in the postseason, but especially a Game 7.
Chet Holmgren’s disappearing act doomed the Thunder
As the Thunder look back upon what went wrong in their championship defense, there is one primary culprit in Game 7’s home loss: Holmgren.
Named third-team All-NBA just two weeks ago, Holmgren finished Saturday’s elimination game with just four points on two shots. You are reading that correctly: two shots. The third-year center was swallowed up by the significance of the game. He was visibly hesitant on offense and the ball movement came to a grinding halt whenever Holmgren got a touch because he was so reluctant to attack Wembanyama. He was adequate defensively with two blocks and two steals but not dominant the way a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up should be.
Holmgren took a step forward this season as an offensive player for this exact circumstance. Oklahoma City needed him to produce points with both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out. Instead, he completely disappeared to the extent coach Mark Daigneault opted to sub him out in the final minutes, electing to go with McCain and his aggressiveness instead.
It’s a shame because the Thunder really could have won this one. Gilgeous-Alexander showed up with 35 points on 12-for-21 shooting. He did what superstars are supposed to do, but like most superstars, he eventually got worn down and needed somebody, anybody to help him out. Holmgren is supposed to be that guy. He’s on a max contract that will kick in next season because the Thunder believe him to be that guy.
On Saturday? He wasn’t that guy, and it sunk his team’s championship hopes.
Western Conference finals Game 7 recap: Spurs 111, Thunder 103
Western Conference finals recap
- Game 1: Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (OT)
- Game 2: Thunder 122, Spurs 113
- Game 3: Thunder 123, Spurs 108
- Game 4: Spurs 103, Thunder 82
- Game 5: Thunder 127, Spurs 114
- Game 6: Spurs 118, Thunder 91
- Game 7: Spurs 111, Thunder 103
Game 1 of the WCF was a majestic duel between the best teams in the conference. The games since have … not been quite as enjoyable to watch. The Spurs and Thunder have largely taken turns winning big since the thrilling OT contest that kicked us off; only one other game has been decided by single digits.
But if we get a classic on Saturday night, all that will be forgotten. A great Game 7 washes away whatever bad games occurred earlier in the series. And there’s real reason to think we might get that. SGA was awful in Game 6 thanks in large part to stellar defensive execution from San Antonio, but it’s impossible to keep a two-time MVP down for long. His team desperately needs a big night, too, with how much scoring is on the shelf between the Williams and Mitchell injuries.
The only question that matters for the Spurs: if Wemby has enough in the tank to get them across the finish line. Fatigue appears to be playing a role in the young superstar’s first playoff run; every dominant night this series has been followed by a tired effort that results in a San Antonio loss. But he proved up to the challenge with his back against the wall in Game 6 and Wembanyama gave everything he had in his first-ever Game 7.
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