The San Antonio Spurs booked their place in the NBA Finals for the first time in the Victor Wembanyama era after defeating reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Wembanyama leads Spurs into Finals
Wembanyama delivered another standout display as San Antonio secured the biggest win of their season, continuing a remarkable rise for a team that won just 22 games during his rookie campaign.
The French star has been central to the Spurs’ playoff run and once again led from the front, helping guide the young squad through a tense winner-takes-all contest.
At the final buzzer, emotions spilled over as Wembanyama celebrated with team-mates before reflecting on what reaching the NBA Finals meant to him.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy is a childhood dream,” he said after the game.
The 22-year-old has now led San Antonio to the brink of a championship just three seasons into his NBA career.
Young Spurs continue rapid rise
San Antonio’s success has not been built around Wembanyama alone.
Second-year guard Stephon Castle continued his impressive postseason form, while rookie Dylan Harper played another important role in a playoff run that has accelerated the franchise’s rebuilding timeline.
Harper, who was selected second overall in last year’s draft, said the opportunity to face the Knicks in the Finals was a dream scenario.
“My dream has always been to play in the Garden in the NBA Finals,” he said. “I get to do that in my first year.”
Veteran guard De’Aaron Fox also made a major contribution despite continuing to manage an ankle injury that had sidelined him earlier in the series.
The Spurs once again showcased the defensive identity that has defined much of their season.
A key moment came late in the fourth quarter when reserve centre Luke Kornet produced a crucial block at the rim after replacing Wembanyama, who had picked up his fifth foul.
The play helped preserve San Antonio’s advantage and sparked a momentum-shifting sequence that pushed the visitors further ahead.
Wembanyama later described the intervention as “the definition of a winning play.”
Thunder unable to complete title defence
Oklahoma City entered the series as one of the favourites to win the championship after another dominant regular season, but they were unable to find a way past the Spurs.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged San Antonio’s quality after the defeat.
“They’re young. They’re talented. Well coached,” he said. “You don’t beat us without having the makeup to go all the way.”
The Spurs won eight of their nine meetings with the Thunder across the regular season and playoffs, underlining their emergence as one of the NBA’s new powerhouse teams.
Knicks await in NBA Finals
San Antonio will now face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday night in Texas.
The Knicks arrive in strong form after dominating the Eastern Conference playoffs and will provide another stern test for Wembanyama and his team-mates.
However, confidence is high within the Spurs camp after dethroning the defending champions.
“The crazy thing is, I want to feel this 15 or 20 more times in my career,” Wembanyama said.
