\u201cGuys that really understand the history of the game and want to be great do everything they possibly can to get an advantage.\u201d \u2013 Tracy McGrady on San Antonio\u2019s Victor Wembanyama<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the MVP. There\u2019s going to be a lot of emphasis put on him to slow him down. It\u2019s up to him to read how the game is being played, whether that\u2019s being aggressive or getting his teammates involved.\u201d \u2013 McGrady on Oklahoma City\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to show some type of physical presence against Victor Wembanyama. You may not win the matchup, but you have to compete.\u201d \u2013 Carmelo Anthony on Oklahoma City\u2019s Chet Holmgren<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of wasted movement. He\u2019s very efficient and precise in what he does.\u201d\u2013 Vince Carter on Wembanyama<\/p>\n
NBC and Peacock Deliver Most-Watched Western Conference Finals Game 1 Ever for Monday\u2019s Spurs-Thunder Double Overtime Thriller<\/a><\/p>\n STAMFORD, Conn. \u2013 May 20, 2026 \u2013 The NBA Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock continued tonight, beginning with NBC Sports\u2019 live on-site studio program NBA Showtime, leading into coverage of Game 2 between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion and Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs lead the series 1-0 after defeating the Thunder, 122-115, in a double overtime thriller on Monday night.<\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s on-site edition of NBA Showtime from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City featured host Maria Taylor alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.<\/p>\n Pre-game coverage included the studio team announcing the NBA All-Rookie Teams<\/a>; Ashley ShahAhmadi\u2019s pre-game interview with Spurs forward Julian Champagnie<\/a>; Zora Stephenson\u2019s pre-game interview with Thunder guard Alex Caruso<\/a>; a Twilight Zone-inspired feature on Victor Wembanyama; and Jordan Cornette\u2019s interview at shootaround with Cavaliers guard Max Strus.<\/p>\n Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analysts), and Zora Stephenson and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporters) are calling Spurs-Thunder.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Following are highlights from tonight\u2019s NBA Showtime ahead of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock:<\/p>\n ON SPURS<\/p>\n Carmelo Anthony while watching Victor Wembanyama\u2019s pre-game warmups: \u201cHe had a move in Game 1 where he had Chet (Holmgren) on his arm, twisted and turned, and dunked it backward. Those are the kind of movements that these actions allow him to go out and do. He\u2019s dribbling basketballs up the mountains in China and learning kung fu, you get what I\u2019m saying?\u201d<\/p>\n Tracy McGrady on Wembanyama training with monks in China last summer: \u201cGuys that really understand the history of the game and want to be great do everything they possibly can to get an advantage, and that\u2019s jumping out of the ordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n Vince Carter on Wembanyama\u2019s game: \u201cYou don\u2019t see a lot of wasted movement. He\u2019s very efficient and precise in what he does.\u201d<\/p>\n Anthony on Dylan Harper being selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team: \u201cHe got better as the season went along\u2026in Game 1 (of the Western Conference Finals), he put the team on his back. He deserved this.\u201d<\/p>\n McGrady on the Spurs\u2019 fearlessness: \u201cOne of the biggest factors that no one is really talking about with San Antonio is that they\u2019re fearless. Stephon Castle had 11 turnovers (in Game 1) but you couldn\u2019t tell because he stayed aggressive\u2026These guys do not care about that and that opens up the freedom of basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n ON THUNDER<\/p>\n McGrady on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: \u201cHe\u2019s the MVP. There\u2019s going to be a lot of emphasis put on him to slow him down. It\u2019s up to him to read how the game is being played, whether that\u2019s being aggressive or getting his teammates involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Anthony on Chet Holmgren: \u201cHe\u2019s one of the few players in this league who is seven foot and can put the ball on the floor, shoot the three, and play defense. You have to show some type of physical presence against Victor Wembanyama. You may not win the matchup, but you have to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n McGrady on what the Thunder need: \u201cThey need a heavy diet of Jalen Williams. He needs to relieve that pressure off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.\u201d<\/p>\n McGrady on what Game 2 means for the Thunder: \u201cGame 2 is a referendum on OKC\u2019s maturity. We need to see if Coach Mark Daigneault has adjustments. Can they absorb the superstardom of Wemby?\u201d<\/p>\n ON CAVALIERS<\/p>\n McGrady on the Cavaliers\u2019 fourth-quarter strategy in their Game 1 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Knicks: \u201cIt was mismanaged. When you see one of your players getting targeted every single possession, and they\u2019re scoring every single possession, you got to make a change. James (Harden) played okay in the first half, but defensively he was bad in the fourth quarter.\u201d<\/p>\n McGrady on James Harden\u2019s performance in Game 1: \u201cI know this is James Harden, but this is 17th-year James Harden. You have Dennis Schr\u00f6der who can put out that fire and at least compete on the defensive end.\u201d<\/p>\n McGrady on Donovan Mitchell: \u201cWhere were you in the fourth quarter? It seemed like he deferred too much on the offensive end.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n NBC AND PEACOCK DELIVER THE MOST-WATCHED WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 1 EVER FOR MONDAY\u2019S SPURS-THUNDER DOUBLE OVERTIME THRILLER<\/p>\n Monday night\u2019s thrilling opener of the Western Conference Finals in which the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs defeated the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-115, in double overtime averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 9.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched Western Conference Finals Game 1 ever, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics.<\/p>\n Additional viewership* highlights for Spurs-Thunder Game 1 (8:23-11:43 p.m. ET) include:<\/p>\n TAD of 9.2 million viewers is up 71% vs. Western Conference Finals Game 1 last yearPeak of 12.0 million viewers from 11:30-11:43 p.m. ET for the second overtime and game\u2019s conclusionSecond-most-watched game of the 2025-26 NBA season to dateBy averaging 6.9 million TV-only viewers, NBC won the night in total audience and all key demosMost-watched TV-only Monday primetime program on NBC since The Voice on March 13, 2023 (7.0 million)Led by Peacock, the game streamed an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 2.3 million viewers, making it the most streamed NBC\/Peacock NBA game ever.<\/p>\n * Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, and digital data from Adobe Analytics<\/p>\n