The San Antonio Spurs are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a decade after defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in a decisive Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday.
Powered by another standout performance from Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs clinched the series 4-3 and secured a championship showdown with the New York Knicks. The NBA Finals are set to begin Wednesday in San Antonio.
Wembanyama finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Julian Champagnie added 20 points, including six three-pointers. Rookie guard Stephon Castle contributed 16 points as San Antonio controlled much of the contest and held the lead for nearly the entire game.
“Though we’re still hungry for one more, this feeling is, I can’t explain it, it’s so powerful,” Wembanyama said after the victory. “We want four more. We’re not done. Go Spurs go.”
Champagnie praised the collective effort that carried the Spurs through the pressure of a winner-take-all contest.
“We had a good team, a great team,” he said. “We had to stay the course and play a good game. We were passing the ball. We were playing as a team. We come out here and play together.”
The forward also paid tribute to Wembanyama, who was named Western Conference Finals MVP after another dominant series.
“We never knew if we were going to get this far, but when you’ve got the greatest player in the world, things happen,” Champagnie said.
Wembanyama, however, shifted the focus back to the team after receiving the individual honor.
“It doesn’t mean anything for me other than the fact we are a team,” he said. “I got this for all of us and all the fans right here.”
The French star also reflected on the significance of reaching the Finals.
“Realising that some part of the childhood dream was going to come true,” the 22-year-old said.
San Antonio effectively seized control in the fourth quarter. Wembanyama drilled two three-pointers during a decisive 17-9 run that extended the Spurs’ advantage to 97-86 with eight minutes remaining.
Although the 7-foot-4 center was forced to the bench shortly afterward after picking up his fifth foul, Oklahoma City could not complete a comeback despite a determined effort from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 35 points and kept the Thunder within striking distance throughout the final minutes.
“He was brilliant. He had a great game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He delivered. It was a really big-time game for him.”
Despite the defeat, Daigneault praised his team’s effort while acknowledging San Antonio’s superiority on the night.
“Felt like we could have won the series. We were right there,” he said. “There’s nobody we don’t think we can’t beat. I thought we had enough to win, but credit San Antonio—they’re the ones who did.”
The victory is particularly impressive for a Spurs squad featuring only one player with previous Game 7 experience. San Antonio outlasted a Thunder team that captured the NBA title in a Game 7 just one year ago.
“Back in October, we knew we had a chance to be pretty good,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “There’s a lot being talked about—competitiveness, resolve, togetherness, execution. Who gives a damn about the word experience? They had to go out and execute, and they did.”
The win sets up a Finals rematch of the NBA Cup championship game from December, when the Knicks defeated the Spurs 124-113 in Las Vegas.
“It will be a nice challenge for us,” Champagnie said of facing New York. “A lot of physicality, hit first, and rebounding.”
Now, with Wembanyama leading the way, San Antonio stands just four victories away from capturing its first NBA championship since 2014.