A DEAFENING silence engulfed the once roaring Paycom Center as the San Antonio Spurs scored by far the biggest road win in the season, dethroning the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-103, in Game 7 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference Finals on Saturday (Sunday, May 31, 2026, PH time).
The 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Julian Champagnie added 20 points, including six three-pointers and Stephon Castle chipped in 16 points for the Spurs, who booked a ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Wembanyama was named Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals after a stunning 4-3 series win against the Thunder, who were on paper the heavy-favorites to win the championship this season.
After slaying the top-seeded team in the West and the two-time reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Spurs’ mission is far from over.
“Though we’re still hungry for one more, this feeling is, I can’t explain it, it’s so powerful,” Wembanyama said in an NBA article. “We want four more. We’re not done. Go Spurs go.”
Gilgeous-Alexander put up 35 points in a losing effort for Oklahoma City.
Waiting for the Spurs in the ultimate showcase is a classic rival in the New York Knicks, setting up a deeply historic NBA Finals rematch.
The Spurs and Knicks played in the 1999 NBA Finals, where San Antonio, led by twin towers Tim Duncan and David Robinson, outplayed the injured Knicks, who were missing Patrick Ewing due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals is set on Wednesday (Thursday, PH time) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. / RSC