Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs started the Western Conference finals with a statement win in Oklahoma City, and on Saturday night, they ended the series the exact same way.

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have been dethroned. In a thrilling, high-stakes Game 7 on the road, Wembanyama and the Spurs defied the odds to secure a 111-103 victory, punching San Antonio's ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

"This feeling, I can't explain it," Wembanyama said after the historic win. "It's so powerful."

Wembanyama led the charge with 22 points, while Julian Champagnie caught fire from deep, scoring 18 of his 20 points from beyond the arc. Stephon Castle added 16 points, and De'Aaron Fox chipped in 15 to fuel a balanced Spurs attack.

Unlike the previous four games of the series—which were largely blowouts by the start of the fourth quarter—Game 7 delivered pure drama. The Spurs held a slim 80-77 lead entering the final period after the Thunder repeatedly erased double-digit deficits.

A massive turning point came midway through the fourth quarter. San Antonio’s Luke Kornet executed a spectacular block at the rim on Oklahoma City's Isaiah Hartenstein, denying a fast-break dunk that would have pulled the Thunder within four points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a masterclass for Oklahoma City, finishing with a game-high 35 points and nine assists. However, playing short-handed without Jalen Williams (left hamstring injury), the Thunder simply ran out of gas against a relentless Spurs squad.

With the victory, the NBA is guaranteed to have a new champion for the eighth consecutive season.

The Spurs will now host the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, San Antonio opens as a 4.5-point home favorite for the series opener and a -220 favorite to win the championship outright.

"We want four more," Wembanyama said. "We're not done."

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada