Throughout the Western Conference finals, the San Antonio Spurs hoped that Victor Wembanyama could work enough magic while he was on the court to make up for the Oklahoma City Thunder annihilating them while he was off of it. Late in Game 7 on Saturday night, the Thunder must have been licking their chops. Wembanyama picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter. The Spurs led by six at the next break in play, a lead that could disappear in minutes with Wembanyama’s backup, Luke Kornet, on the floor. But there was no choice – Wembanyama checked out rather than risk fouling out.

Immediately, Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein picked off a pass and bolted down the floor to lay the ball in. That would have cut the Spurs’ lead to four, but more importantly may well have set into motion a trend we had seen throughout the series: When Wembanyama sits, the Thunder feast.

Instead, Kornet – a competent but limited player – soared into the air with Hartenstein and blocked the ball into the backboard with an almighty thud. The Spurs recovered the rebound, and Stephon Castle’s short jumper ballooned San Antonio’s lead to eight. “Four-point swing – that might be the play of the game right there,” Reggie Miller said on the broadcast.

After a Thunder turnover, Kornet made way for Wembanyama. Kornet’s fourth-quarter stint lasted just 54 seconds, but he’d done his job. Then the Spurs’ talented, youthful core did theirs to complete a 111-103 win that proved experience isn’t always crucial in the NBA playoffs.

Though the Spurs and Thunder are headlined by extraordinary stars in Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, playoff basketball is about depth. For most of the series, the Thunder won that battle. Their superb bench sometimes outscored their starters. Such is the wealth of talent in the Thunder roster that their second-best player, Jalen Williams, and a vital offensive engine, Ajay Mitchell, sat out games with injuries, and at times they were barely missed. But in Game 7, only Gilgeous-Alexander was on song. He outscored the rest of the Thunder’s starters on his own, 35-31. By the fourth quarter, he was exhausted. The Thunder got 14 fourth-quarter points from Cason Wallace, but nobody else could meaningfully chip in. They were undone by what is usually their biggest strength.

The Spurs, in contrast, got vital contributions from everybody: Kornet’s block. Keldon Johnson hit two three-pointers. Dylan Harper took a long three over Gilgeous-Alexander, ill-advised at first glance, and nailed it. De’Aaron Fox splashed a tricky three-pointer. So did Julian Champagnie, who made six of 10 for the game after struggling to find his shot for most of the series. Wembanyama played the final few minutes foul-free; with his teammates lightening his burden, he never really had to take a risk.

Big picture, it’s shocking to see the defending champions eliminated. Oklahoma City won 24 of their first 25 games this season – even without Williams – and there were murmurs that the NBA should just give them the trophy already. The Spurs weren’t even considered contenders at first, but three wins over the Thunder in December corrected that belief and revealed cracks in the defending champions. This result is what those games suggested was possible.

You could still make the case that, fully healthy, the Thunder are the best team in the league. Gilgeous-Alexander was generally poor this series; and when he finally stepped up in Game 7, his teammates regressed. Chet Holmgren was invisible enough to make ghosts jealous; he’ll hope that invisibility lasts so he can evade the media pile-on that’s sure to come. And despite all that, the Spurs had to win a tight, tricky Game 7 on the road to win this series. The Thunder’s defense remains the gold standard, a whirling mass of swatting hands and waving arms that ventures right up to the line of what will draw a referee’s whistle and no further. They will be back next season, probably healthier and better.

Many will be glad to see them depart the playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander’s proficiency for drawing fouls has never been popular, but fans’ distaste for his methods has amplified this season. ESPN’s Jay Williams did a segment on Gilgeous-Alexander’s habit of falling over in the pursuit of fouls. Earlier in the series, Hartenstein pulled Castle’s hair under the basket, which somehow went unpunished. Other teams try to manipulate foul calls, but none as consistently, shamelessly, precisely, annoyingly, or successfully as the Thunder. They play effective, unpopular basketball, and even if everyone on Earth teamed up to chant “FLOPPER!” at them they would still carry on with their tactics.

But there’s no denying their greatness. They came closer to repeating as champions than anybody since the peak Golden State Warriors. Wonderful basketball teams in the 2025 Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers have tried and failed to beat the Thunder in a Game 7. The narrative of the Spurs-Thunder rivalry was powered by Wembanyama’s evident disdain for Holmgren, his craving for Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP award. If winning the championship is the Spurs’ dream, beating the Oklahoma City juggernaut was their desire.

When the buzzer sounded, Wembanyama shouted and cried, biting his fist like he wanted to eat it, and clawing at his head like it was too small to contain the ensuing burst of joy. The New York Knicks are up next in the NBA finals. They’re better rested than the Spurs, did well against them in the regular season, and are on an 11-game winning streak. But right now, with the embers of Game 7 still warm, it’s hard to imagine anything in the finals that could matter more than this.