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Victor Wembanyama wins DPOY

The Oklahoma City Thunder arrived at the Western Conference Finals as defending champions with an unblemished playoff record. They had cruised through the first two rounds without dropping a game, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just accepted the MVP trophy from commissioner Adam Silver before tip-off on Monday night.

Then Victor Wembanyama stepped on the floor.

What followed was one of the more remarkable individual performances in recent playoff history, and a result that has the San Antonio Spurs leading the series 1-0 after a 122-115 double-overtime thriller at Paycom Center.

Game 1 Makes History Not Seen in 50 Years

GettySan Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama finishes a dunk over Oklahoma City Thunder defenders during his historic 40-point, 20-rebound Game 1 performance.

Monday night’s contest was not just a classic in the moment. It was historically significant. According to NBA reporter Keerthika Uthayakumar, it was the first time since 1976 that a Western Conference Finals game went to double overtime, ending a fifty-year stretch without one. The last time it happened, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of that series.

Fifty years later, the Spurs and Thunder delivered a worthy successor.

San Antonio jumped out to an early 12-3 lead and controlled large portions of the game, but Oklahoma City rallied from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime. The Thunder then had their chances in the first extra session before Wembanyama buried a deep three to force a second. San Antonio took over from there and did not look back.

Wembanyama Puts on a Show for the Ages

GettySan Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama finished with 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 49 minutes, the most he has ever played in his basketball career. He was not out of gas when it mattered most.

With the Thunder having stolen momentum late in the first overtime, Wembanyama pulled up for a fearless deep three to force a second extension. He then dominated the second overtime entirely, finishing the game with an and-1 dunk over Chet Holmgren before adding a late block to seal the result.

The performance placed Wembanyama in rare company. His 40-point, 20-rebound effort made him just the seventh player in NBA history to accomplish that feat in the conference finals or beyond, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O’Neal. He is also the youngest player in playoff history to reach those numbers and the first Spur to do so since David Robinson.

After the final horn, Wembanyama reflected on watching Gilgeous-Alexander collect the MVP award before tip-off. “I want to get that trophy many times in my career,” Wembanyama said. The message was clear. The performance backed it up.

Spurs’ Harper Steps Up With Fox Sidelined

GettySan Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper controls the ball during his historic playoff performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1.

The Spurs received bad news before the game when All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox was ruled out with a lingering ankle injury. Rookie Dylan Harper was thrust into the starting lineup having made just four starts during the regular season.

He was outstanding. Harper finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals with just one turnover, repeatedly using his 6’6″ frame to overpower defenders at the rim. His performance placed him alongside Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Anthony Roberts as just the fifth rookie in NBA history to post a 20-point double-double in the conference finals. He also became the first rookie to put up 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus steals in a playoff game since Magic Johnson in 1980.

Fox’s availability for Game 2 on Wednesday remains unclear. Based on what Harper showed Monday night, the Spurs have nothing to worry about.

Thunder Face Uncomfortable Questions

GettyOklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Oklahoma City’s defense had been the defining feature of their championship run. They led the NBA in defensive rating during the regular season and had suffocated opponents throughout the playoffs. On Monday, it was the Spurs who suffocated them.

San Antonio won the rebounding battle 61-40, a staggering margin in a game of this magnitude. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points and 12 assists but shot just 7-of-23 from the field in an uncharacteristically inefficient night. Holmgren managed only eight points on limited attempts, largely neutralized by Wembanyama’s presence.

Alex Caruso kept the Thunder alive with 31 points and eight three-pointers. Jalen Williams added 26. But Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 50-16, and it still was not enough.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson described what drives his young star after the win. Wembanyama has “a rare desire to step into every moment,” Johnson said, pointing to a competitive instinct that showed up in every critical situation Monday night.

Final Word for the Spurs

The Thunder are still the defending champions. They will adjust. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City and the series is far from over.

But the Spurs just walked into one of the league’s most hostile playoff environments and won in double overtime without their starting point guard. Wembanyama put up numbers that had not been seen in a conference finals in fifty years.

The Western Conference Finals is living up to every bit of the hype.