Wembanyama scores 41 as Spurs upset Thunder in Game 1 thriller | Basketball

Victor Wembanyama beat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a dramatic 122-115 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference Finals.

Wembanyama scored 41 points and pulled down 24 rebounds in a thrilling game on Monday. He forced a second overtime with a stunning three-pointer and scored nine of the Spurs’ 14 points in the second overtime as San Antonio handed the defending champions their first loss of these playoffs.

“It was, like, a total commitment,” the 22-year-old Wembanyama told NBC radio after the game.

The French star played 49 minutes, making dunks and a key block late in the second overtime to seal the victory.

With the victory at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center, the Spurs stole home court advantage in the best-of-seven series that has sent a winner to the NBA Finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP promotes Wembanyama

Wembanyama admitted that the sight of Thunder star Gilgeous-Alexander receiving his second consecutive MVP award before the game was “definite”.

He received Defensive Player of the Year honors but finished third in the MVP voting announced Sunday.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the sight of Gilgeous-Alexander hoisting the MVP award “100 percent” inspired his star.

“He’s competitive,” Johnson said. “If you are a competitor and you see another competitor benefiting from what you want.”

But Wembanyama said the big message of the night was that Spurs’ youngsters “are ready to go anywhere, anywhere, against anyone”.

“And although we still have a lot to learn, our efforts have to be on everyone else and tonight we were relentless.”

Rookie Dylan Harper, starting in place of the injured De’Aaron Fox, scored 24 points and stole the show for San Antonio. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 11 assists as the Spurs extended their dominance over the Thunder.

Oklahoma City, trying to become the first team to repeat as champions since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, won 64 games in the league, but dropped four of five games against the Spurs, who won 62 games in the regular season to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Gilgeous-Alexander had just 24 points, shaking off a sluggish start to get the Thunder back on track with a 10-point first-quarter run.

‘I couldn’t bring my best game’

Alex Caruso scored 31 points to lead the Thunder and Jalen Williams returned from a six-game injury layoff to score 26.

Oklahoma City led by 10 in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder came back, and it was 99-99 with 33.2 seconds left when Wembanyama hit a basket that put San Antonio up 101-99.

Gilgeous-Alexander then tied it up with a layup and Chet Holmgren blocked Wembanyama for the game-winner.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s jumper put the Thunder up 108-105 with 57.6 seconds left in the first overtime.

But Mr Wembanyama drilled three points to tie it, and went to the second extra round.

“I know what my teammates can do, what we can do as a team when we bring it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t bring my best game tonight.

“But that’s just the way it is sometimes… you have to roll with the punches, not give up and be true to who you are.”

The Thunder, who swept the Phoenix Suns and LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds, will try to bounce back with two games on Wednesday before the series moves to San Antonio for games three and four on Friday and Saturday.

The winners of the series will face either the New York Knicks or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.