In the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in overtime at the Paycom Center. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 41 points and 24 rebounds, while Dylan Harper contributed 24 points, 11 rebounds, and a playoff club record seven steals.
Wembanyama, at 22 years and 134 days, became the youngest player to score 40 points and grab 20 rebounds in a playoff game, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who achieved the feat at 22 years and 343 days in the 1970 NBA Finals.
The Thunder were led by Alex Caruso, who scored 31 points, and Jalen Williams, who added 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's regular-season MVP, contributed 24 points and 12 assists. The Thunder's nine-game playoff winning streak from last season's finals was ended by this result, and the Spurs secured home-court advantage.
The second game of the series will be played on Thursday, May 21, in Oklahoma City.
Wembanyama's performance was absolutely historic! But can the Spurs keep up this level of play? The Thunder will surely be looking for revenge in the next game. Let's see if San Antonio can keep their momentum going!