Xinhua
31 May 2026, 13:16 GMT+10
WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference finals on Saturday to advance to the NBA Finals with a 4-3 series win.
Victor Wembanyama was named the Western Conference finals MVP.
"This feeling, I can't explain it," Wembanyama said. "It's so powerful."
Wembanyama finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Julian Champagnie knocked down 6 of 10 three-pointers for 20 points and six rebounds. Stephon Castle added 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
It marked the Spurs' first trip to the NBA Finals in 12 years. Their last Finals appearance came in 2014, when they beat the Miami Heat 4-1 to win the title.
San Antonio will face the New York Knicks for the championship, with Game 1 set for Wednesday. The two teams met earlier this season in the NBA Cup final, when the Knicks beat the Spurs 124-113.
The Spurs led 32-25 after the first quarter. The Thunder fought back in the second and trimmed the deficit, but San Antonio still held a 56-53 lead at halftime.
The two sides traded baskets in a tightly contested third quarter, before the Spurs caught fire from three-point range in the fourth and maintained a lead of around 10 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points, nine assists and three steals, while Cason Wallace had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Chet Holmgren finished with four points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
For Wembanyama, it was his first NBA playoff run, and he helped the Spurs make it all the way to the Finals.
"They don't even know how much I love them," Wembanyama said of his teammates. "We want four more."
With the Thunder being eliminated, the NBA playoffs extended an eight-year streak in which the defending champion has failed to repeat.
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