{"id":701812,"date":"2026-05-29T15:30:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T15:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/701812\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T15:30:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T15:30:19","slug":"starting-5-spurs-dominate-force-game-7-in-west-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/701812\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Spurs dominate, force Game 7 in West Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama leads the way for Spurs as they keep their season alive on Thursday and force Game 7.<\/p>\n

The two best records in the NBA.<\/p>\n

The two top seeds in the West.<\/p>\n

The two rivals who have forged a West Finals classic.<\/p>\n

\u2026now headed for the best two words in sports:<\/p>\n

Game Seven.<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

See You Saturday: Facing elimination, Wemby sparks Spurs to force Game 7 in OKC<\/p>\n

Statement Surge: Inside the plays that fueled San Antonio\u2019s 20-0 3rd-quarter run<\/p>\n

Game 7 First Look: A historic winner-take-all to cap an all-time West Finals<\/p>\n

Knicks Await: A deep dive into the benefits (and challenges) of Playoff rest<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s Larry?: The Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy has been busy before the NBA Finals<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Tied 3-3, the Western Conference Finals come down to one final showdown \u2013 Game 7 on Saturday in OKC (8 ET, NBC\/Peacock<\/a>). Will the Thunder return to the NBA Finals<\/a>, or will the Spurs knock off the reigning champs?<\/p>\n

Awaiting The Winner: the New York Knicks, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals set for Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 ET, ABC).<\/p>\n

New Draft Lottery Approved: The NBA Board of Governors approved a new NBA Draft Lottery system<\/a> Thursday. The \u20183-2-1 Lottery\u2019 takes effect beginning with the 2027 Draft.<\/p>\n

1. WEMBY, SPURS STORM PAST THUNDER TO FORCE GAME 7<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Their backs were against the wall, and the defending champs were closing in.<\/p>\n

The Thunder stood one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals. The Spurs stood one loss away from watching their magical season end at home.<\/p>\n

San Antonio wouldn\u2019t let it happen. This series \u2013 one that\u2019s delivered again and again \u2013 wasn\u2019t ending in six games.<\/p>\n

Instead, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs pushed this West Finals classic to its final act.<\/p>\n

Game 7.<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Spurs 118, Thunder 91: With San Antonio\u2019s season on the line, Wembanyama (28 pts, 10 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk<\/a>) came out firing, as the hosts seized control with a 35-22 1st quarter.<\/p>\n

The Spurs broke things open in the 3rd with an electric 20-0 run<\/a>, racing past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15 pts, 4 ast) and the Thunder to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in OKC on Saturday (8 ET, NBC\/Peacock). | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Alien Answer: After Wemby was held to 20 points in San Antonio\u2019s Game 5 loss, coach Mitch Johnson made it clear: if the Spurs were going to survive, they needed more from their superstar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re gonna have to [get Victor going],\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to need to take more than 15 shots. He\u2019s going to need to score more than 20 points.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wembanyama delivered. And then some.<\/p>\n

Hours before tip-off, he arrived at the arena in a green robe with a freshly shaved head<\/a> \u2013 a different look for his first career elimination game.<\/p>\n

Moments after tip-off, he attacked OKC with a different energy.<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Welcome: Wemby waited 8+ minutes to take his first shot in Game 5. Last night? Fifty-seven seconds, as he splashed an early 3 to ignite the Frost Bank Center
\nTo The Wemby Show: Sixteen seconds later, he swatted a shot off the glass. Then drilled another 3<\/a>. Then a turnaround jumper
\nThe Building Was Rocking: And the Spurs kept coming. Wemby buried another 3 late in the quarter as San Antonio closed on a 21-9 surge, capped by a crowd-popping bucket from Stephon Castle (17 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) with 0.5 left
\nThe Spurs Were Rolling: San Antonio was up 13 with an 8-of-14 clip from deep \u2013 its most 3s in a Playoff quarter since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98
\n\u201cWe all had a bad taste in our mouth after last game,\u201d said Dylan Harper (18 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) of Wemby and San Antonio\u2019s start
\n\u201cWhen he came with that outfit, I think everyone knew what was going to happen<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Devin<\/p>\n

By halftime, Wemby (22 pts, 6 reb, 4 3s) already had more points than he scored in all of Game 5. The Spurs led 60-53.<\/p>\n

Then came the knockout blow.<\/p>\n

Turning Point: With 8:23 left in the 3rd, an SGA jumper trimmed OKC\u2019s deficit to eight. The Thunder wouldn\u2019t score for another 7:27 of game time
\nTurning Up: San Antonio, meanwhile, erupted from all angles: six points from Harper, five from De\u2019Aaron Fox, five from Castle and two apiece from Julian Champagnie and Wemby
\nA 20-0 Tidal Wave: Suddenly, the Spurs were up 28 \u2013 and the Frost Bank Center was in a frenzy<\/p>\n

Complete Effort: Devin Vassell (12 pts, 4 3s, 2 blk, endless juice<\/a>) and Champagnie (10 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk) joined Wemby, Harper and Castle in double figures, as the Spurs finished with 12 different scorers.<\/p>\n

A must-win game ended with a wire-to-wire victory \u2013 and \u201cGame 7\u201d chants raining down<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And the storm started with their superstar.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis desire to meet the moment,\u201d said Johnson on the key to Wemby\u2019s performance. \u201cI think that\u2019s maybe his biggest growth this year. Not waiting for it to be perfect \u2026 but to attack the moment \u2026 and live with the results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Game 7 on Saturday now awaits, with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line (8 ET, NBC\/Peacock).<\/p>\n

2. \u201cGET IT DONE NOW\u201d: INSIDE THE SPURS\u2019 STATEMENT 3RD QUARTER<\/p>\n

\"De'Aaron<\/p>\n

A pair of early runs put the Spurs in control of Game 6 before halftime.<\/p>\n

But it was San Antonio\u2019s 32-13 3rd quarter, starring a 20-0 run, that closed the door on OKC.<\/p>\n

The offensive surge was made possible by a defensive shutoff, and here\u2019s what it looked like, in five key, energy-shifting plays.<\/p>\n

\"Spurs<\/p>\n

Cutoff Zone: After OKC started the quarter with four straight scores in the paint, San Antonio dropped into a zone, throwing a different look at OKC \u2014 and setting up the run to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had the makings of a road win if we could be the team that threw the punch in the 3rd, and they were the team that did that, which is why they won the game,\u201d coach Mark Daigneault said<\/p>\n

\"Dylan<\/p>\n

Creating Cracks: Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper worked a quick pass-pass back to get the defense moving, making a lane for Castle to drive and convert the and-1. San Antonio\u2019s lead climbed past 10 points on this score (76-64) and never came back down. Run: 4-0 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe all just stuck together and just kind of rode the wave that we were on,\u201d Harper said. \u201cWe were being aggressive, and being the aggressor no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Spurs<\/p>\n

Turned Away: The Spurs\u2019 zone locks up four Thunder drives here, mid-way through the 3rd, forcing four straight passes away from the basket. Castle then gets the deflection and rip on Shai, one of four OKC turnovers in the frame. Run: 7-0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of our focus and attention was on the defensive end,\u201d Castle said of the quarter. \u201cWe knew our backs were against the walls, and if we punched them in the mouth first that they were gonna lay down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Spurs<\/p>\n

More Movement: Back on offense, San Antonio swings it for a De\u2019Aaron Fox baseline drive while Victor Wembanyama crashes, leaving Julian Champagnie alone on a kickout to drive the scattered paint. Run: 13-0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kinda felt the tide turn, so we knew \u2026 we could play around with the game and let them stay in the game, or finish them off,\u201d Champagnie said of the 3rd quarter.
\n\u201cThat was kind of the biggest thing for us \u2026 get it done now, and get right to the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Punctuated: After Chet Holmgren\u2019s lay-in ended OKC\u2019s 7-plus minute scoring drought, Wemby\u2019s block at the buzzer sealed San Antonio\u2019s statement quarter, with the lead expanded to 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cOutscoring them 20-2 is not a realistic projection that we want to do,\u201d Wemby said postgame. \u201cBut when we get everything together, these moments are gonna happen \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key is to stay consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. GAME 7 FIRST LOOK: A FITTING FINALE FOR AN EPIC WEST FINALS<\/p>\n

\"Western<\/p>\n

A rivalry that spent months brewing has erupted into a West Finals classic \u2014 and now it\u2019s headed for the ultimate crescendo: Game 7 (Saturday, 8 ET, NBC\/Peacock).<\/p>\n

Winner advances to the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n

And like this series, this one is special.<\/p>\n

All-Time Playoffs: This will be the 160th Game 7 in NBA history and the 5th of these Playoffs \u2013 tied for the most in a single postseason
\nAll-Time Showdown: Since the Playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1983, this is the first Game 7 between teams with the top two regular-season records
\n\u201cLegendary,\u201d said Dylan Harper of what it means to play in a Game 7. \u201cWe want to be a part of that history<\/a> \u2026 we\u2019re going to go out there swinging. No matter what \u2013 we\u2019re gonna leave it all on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

This will be the first Game 7 in the West Finals since the Warriors beat the Rockets in 2018. No team has reached consecutive NBA Finals since Golden State\u2019s run from 2015-19.<\/p>\n

A Thunder win Saturday would change that.<\/p>\n

A Spurs win would mark their first Game 7 victory since the First Round of 2014 \u2013 the same year San Antonio last reached, and won, the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n

\"Shai<\/p>\n

At the center of this relentless series stand two superstars: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.<\/p>\n

And while the back-to-back Kia MVP has more Game 7 experience, San Antonio\u2019s 22-year-old sensation has spent this postseason proving pressure brings out his best.<\/p>\n

SGA Delivery: Shai is 2-1 in career Game 7s, averaging 27.7 ppg, including a monster outing (29 pts, 5 reb, 12 ast, 2 blk) in Game 7 of last year\u2019s NBA Finals to bring a title to OKC
\nAlien Arrival: Wemby has totaled 372 pts, 176 reb and 59 blk this postseason. Only two other players have tallied at least 350\/150\/50 in their first 16 career Playoff games: David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon
\nElimination Elevation: Last night, he became the first Spur in franchise history to post 25+ pts and 10+ reb with multiple steals and multiple blocks when facing elimination<\/p>\n

And after a 1-1 split through two games, a 2-2 deadlock through four and a 3-3 tie through six, it feels only fitting this series \u2013 and superstar duel \u2013 comes down to one final game.<\/p>\n

One final game for a Finals berth.<\/p>\n

4. YAHOO SPORTS: BALANCING \u2018REST VS. RUST\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Karl-Anthony<\/p>\n

The Knicks have been here before.<\/p>\n

The team had eight days of rest before Game 1 of the East Finals, a game they trailed until a historic 22-point comeback late.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you could say \u2026 we were still resting in the first three quarters,\u2019\u201dJalen Brunson said then. \u201cBut, the rest helped us, definitely, in the 4th and overtime.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York went on to win the series in four games. So is the extra rest before the Finals helpful, or a hindrance?<\/p>\n

Rest assured,\u00a0there is a sweet spot, historically.<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports\u2019 Ben Rohrbach breaks down all the statistics on Playoff rest:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 For fans of the New York Knicks, who will have eight days of rest entering the 2026 NBA Finals, there is some reason to believe the additional time off could benefit them\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018We really wanna get back to work,\u2019 New York\u2019s Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters this week.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 The team with more rest entering the NBA Finals is 7-3 \u2026 But teams with five or more days rest than the opponents entering the Finals are just 3-3 since 2000 \u2026\u201d | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

5. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LARRY? ADVENTURES BEFORE THE FINALS<\/p>\n

\"Larry<\/p>\n

The NBA Finals tip off on June 3, but the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy is already making the rounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From the PGA Championship to the set of Bravo TV, Larry has spent the past few weeks making stops across the sports and entertainment world, reminding everyone what\u2019s at stake this June.<\/p>\n

Courtside Reimagined: Larry made a stop at Cosm Los Angeles on Tuesday, taking in the immersive viewing experience during Game 5 of the West Finals<\/a>
\nMajor Hardware: Larry hit the links earlier this month in Philly, joining the Stanley Cup and Wanamaker Trophy at Aronimink Golf Club for the PGA Championship<\/a>
\nReminiscing On Prime: Even as a 3-time NBA champion, Udonis Haslem was awed by Larry\u2019s aura<\/a>, along with the rest of the NBA on Prime crew
\nLarry Trivia: \u201cEnjoy Basketball\u201d put their hardware knowledge to the test, guessing how much Larry weighs<\/a>
\nOn The Mic: On Bravo\u2019s \u201cWatch What Happens Live,\u201d Andy Cohen asked Larry the hard-hitting questions \u2013 and Larry wasn\u2019t having it<\/a> \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

Follow for\u00a0more Larry adventures here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to share\u00a0Starting\u00a05\u00a0with a friend?\u00a0Send them this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shape the Starting 5.\u00a0\u00a0Email us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t have the NBA App? Download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n