Victor Wembanyama saw his trust in the basketball gods pay off as the San Antonio Spurs overcame the Oklahoma City Thunder to take the Western Conference Finals to a decisive Game 7.
The Spurs were facing elimination after going down 127-114 in Game 5, after which Wembanyama did not speak to the media on the back of a disappointing performance in which he went just four of 15 shooting.
But the Frenchman led the way in Game 6 as the Spurs stayed alive, an excellent defensive display helping them secure a 118-91 victory.
Wembanyma registered a double-double, scoring 28 points and totalling 10 rebounds while also recording two steals and three blocked shots.
Despite the upturn in his play, Wembanyama was succinct in his assessment of the game.
Asked by NBC Sports why the Spurs are able to deliver in big moments, Wembanyma replied: “I can’t answer why. We just are. But we ain’t done nothing yet.
“We did what we needed to do. Trusted the game. Trusted the basketball gods.”
Pressed on what was behind the Spurs’ strong defensive showing, he said: “Trust in our coaches and play with effort.”
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, having racked up 32 points in Game 5, was held to just 15 in Game 6 as he went six for 18 shooting from the field.
That marked the two-time MVP’s lowest points tally since Game 3 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, when he managed only 14.
The Canadian has seen a significant drop-off in his shooting in this series. Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 37.9 per cent from the floor, having made 51.4 per cent of his attempts in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Asked for a reason for his struggles, Gilgeous-Alexander replied: “I’m not sure, to be honest.
“A lot of the shots that I’m shooting, I shot plenty of times before. They feel good, and it’s not good.
“They [the Spurs] were the aggressors from start to finish. They played harder than us, hit more shots, were more aggressive, were in attack mode. We were on our heels.”
The Spurs and the Thunder will face off in Game 7 on Saturday, with the winner set to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
