{"id":705132,"date":"2026-05-31T04:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T04:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/705132\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T04:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T04:23:11","slug":"spurs-vs-thunder-victor-wembanyama-reaches-first-nba-finals-as-san-antonio-takes-down-defending-champs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/705132\/","title":{"rendered":"Spurs vs. Thunder: Victor Wembanyama reaches first NBA Finals as San Antonio takes down defending champs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Round 1 of the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> officially went to the challengers on Saturday. We can only hope there are many more to come.<\/p>\n

The Spurs defeated the defending champion Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday in Oklahoma City<\/a>, ending a series that saw the NBA\u2019s two young powers clash for control of the future. The Spurs will face the New York Knicks<\/a> in the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). It will be their first trip since 2014.<\/p>\n

The Thunder are left to ponder how they can improve after previously seeming slated to dominate for years to come.<\/p>\n

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The game was naturally billed as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> vs. Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, the MVP vs. the Defensive Player of the Year. But let the record show that Spurs backup big man Luke Kornet<\/a> came up with the transition block that swung the game to San Antonio<\/a> for good, with Wembanyama on the bench after picking up his fifth foul.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama did lead San Antonio with 22 points and 7 rebounds, though, while Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points and 9 assists.<\/p>\n

The pressure was on the two-time MVP with OKC\u2019s other top ball-handlers, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, out with injuries<\/a>. SGA did everything possible to get his team back into the NBA Finals, but simply didn\u2019t get enough from the remaining players around him.<\/p>\n

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The OKC bench stepped up \u2026 Chet Holmgren<\/a> did not<\/p>\n

Like it has throughout this series, the OKC bench did what it could, which was considerable, especially when you think about Cason Wallace<\/a> entering the starting lineup and scoring 17 points.<\/p>\n

The biggest reserve contribution was from big man Jaylin Williams<\/a>, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 0 turnovers while providing mostly effective defense against Wembanyama. By comparison, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein<\/a> \u2014 OKC\u2019s two starting big men \u2014 combined for 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting with 9 rebounds and 4 turnovers.<\/p>\n

Holmgren in particular struggled and just about disappeared. His $239 million extension kicks in next season, and in this game he took two shots, both in the first quarter. It got particularly noticeable in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Holmgren is a 7-foot-1 freak of nature who earned third-team All-NBA honors this season, and he was completely neutralized this series by an even bigger freak of nature.<\/p>\n

Four years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> waived an undrafted rookie after two NBA appearances to make roster room for dunker Mac McClung<\/a>. That player, Julian Champagnie, landed with the Spurs on a two-way contract.<\/p>\n

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That player also just posted 20 points on 11 shots in a Game 7 on the road. The Spurs took the lead for good in the third quarter, and it was a string of 11 points in less than two minutes from Champagnie that got them there.<\/p>\n

The NBA will have a new champion for an 8th straight season<\/p>\n

The Thunder are the latest NBA champions to fail to repeat, which means there will be a new champ for an eighth consecutive season. That\u2019s a run never before seen in NBA history.<\/p>\n

San Antonio now enters the Finals facing a Knicks team on the best 14-game playoff run in NBA history in a rematch of the 1999 Finals that Tim Duncan<\/a> won at 22 years old.<\/p>\n

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Wembanyama is also 22 years old. Stephon Castle<\/a> (21), Devin Vassell<\/a> (25), Dylan Harper<\/a> (20) and Champagnie (24) are playing well beyond their years as well. Many were skeptical a team with five rotation players so young could take down the Thunder.<\/p>\n

We now know they were wrong.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how Game 7 of the Western Conference finals went down at Yahoo Sports.<\/p>\n

Live74 updatesSat, May 30, 2026 at 5:23 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 9:01 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

For some fans, the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>\u2019 thrilling Game 7 win<\/a> over the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> was hardly a surprise. After all, the corgi saw it coming<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Air Corgi, a dog who predicts sports outcomes by acrobatically tapping balls into baskets, started going viral for her predictions<\/a> for the Western Conference Finals after the picks aligned with the final results. With the Spurs\u2019 win on Saturday, Air Corgi\u2019s predictions have officially come true: a perfect seven-for-seven.<\/p>\n

As she does with all major playoff series, Air Corgi had seven chances to guess the outcomes of each of the seven games.<\/p>\n

In order, the dog predicted all of the wins correctly:<\/p>\n

\"KateSat, May 30, 2026 at 8:41 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 NBA Finals series will open up in San Antonio as the Spurs host the New York Knicks in a quest for the Larry O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the full schedule, with all games tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET:<\/p>\n

Game 1 @ Spurs: Wednesday, June 3<\/p>\n

Game 2 @ Spurs: Friday, June 5<\/p>\n

Game 3 @ Knicks: Monday, June 8<\/p>\n

Game 4 @ Knicks: Wednesday, June 10<\/p>\n

Game 5 @ Spurs (if necessary): Saturday, June 13<\/p>\n

Game 6 @ Knicks (if necessary): Tuesday, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Game 7 @ Spurs (if necessary): Friday, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 8:07 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 8:02 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:58 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Wembanyama has been on a tear in these playoffs, dropping 41 points in Game 1 of the series and continue to rack it up from there. The Alien has scored nearly 200 points across the seven games, making a massive impact on both ends of the court as the Spurs win the conference title.<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:50 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

The Spurs\u2019 defense stifles the Thunder in the final seconds, forcing long three-point misses from Kenrich Williams and Alex Caruso as OKC desperately tries to make it a one-score game. But it\u2019s too late for the Thunder, who simply run out of time against the Spurs.<\/p>\n

Devin Vassell puts an exclamation point on San Antonio\u2019s win with a running dunk, as the Spurs become the Western Conference champions.<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:44 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

This time it\u2019s Chet Holmgren\u2019s turn for a massive block, denying Dylan Harper an attempted dunk. On the other end, Carson Wallace gets a huge three-pointer to bring the Thunder within six points.<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads both teams with 35 points, looks wiped out as Oklahoma City tries to pull off a last-ditch comeback here.<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:40 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Kornet sprints after Hartenstein for a momentum-stifling, potentially game-changing block to keep the Spurs pulling away<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:37 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:29 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Johnson has scored eight of his 11 points in the first few minutes of the 4th quarter.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:29 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Wemby just picked up his fifth foul. Here we go.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:28 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren had another possession where he completely noped out with Wemby in front of him. You would think it hard to put a 7-foot-1 man in witness protection but the Defensive Player of the Year is doing it effortlessly when it comes up.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:26 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:25 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

A Victor Wembanyama stepback 3-pointer and Keldon Johnson transition layup puts the Spurs up 11 with 8 minutes left. As NBC\u2019s Mike Tirico just said, the champs are on the ropes.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:21 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren hasn\u2019t attempted a shot since the first quarter. He just got an iso against Wemby, then tripped in the paint in a possession that ended with a Jared McCain airball. If OKC loses this, he will be trying to forget this game for a while.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:17 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

The fourth quarter starts with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench and Victor Wembanyama on court. These are going to be some very important minutes.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:15 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 31 points and 6 assists through three quarters. He will probably have to do even more to get OKC out of this, as no other starter has more than 4 points. The bench is once again the reason the Thunder are in this.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama has 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Julian Champagnie has 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:11 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Jaylin Williams has 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in a game where the Thunder\u2019s two starting big men have combined for 8 points and 9 rebounds. He just made a 3-point to pull OKC within 2.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 7:07 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

The Thunder\u2019s last nine points scored:<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t been pretty, but it\u2019s also why they\u2019re down only 5 as we approach the end of the thirc quarter.<\/p>\n

\"JackSat, May 30, 2026 at 6:59 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren has two shot attempts in 24 minutes, which isn\u2019t great in a \u201cThunder need someone to step up with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out\u201d Game 7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Round 1 of the San Antonio Spurs against the Oklahoma City Thunder officially went to the challengers on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":705133,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[24610,49,48,42565,5715,97944,18737,14417,6686,42525,140772,21088,192856,459,2087,2901,9585,3555,1528,24616,2696,6691,82,24618,140771,56303,21217],"class_list":["post-705132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ajay-mitchell","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cason-wallace","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-devin-vassell","tag-dylan-harper","tag-isaiah-hartenstein","tag-jalen-williams","tag-jaylin-williams","tag-julian-champagnie","tag-luke-kornet","tag-mac-mcclung","tag-nba","tag-nba-finals","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-oklahoma-city","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-sports","tag-stephon-castle","tag-the-spurs","tag-tim-duncan","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/705132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=705132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/705132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/705133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=705132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=705132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=705132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}