The San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a decade, defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in a decisive game seven on Saturday to set up a championship series against the New York Knicks beginning Wednesday in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old French centre widely regarded as the face of the new NBA, finished with 22 points and seven rebounds in what proved a commanding performance across the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. Julian Champagnie contributed 20 points — including six three-pointers — while Stephon Castle added 16. Seven Spurs players finished in double figures, underscoring the collective depth that carried San Antonio to a 4-3 series victory on the road at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The win brings the Spurs their first Finals appearance since they claimed their fifth championship title in 2014. Oklahoma City's League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered perhaps his finest game of the series with 35 points, nine assists and three steals, but received little support — teammate Chet Holmgren managed just four points and did not attempt a shot in the second half.
The Spurs built a 14-point lead inside the first seven minutes and, after Oklahoma City briefly seized the initiative with a 20-5 second-quarter run, San Antonio reasserted control. A 17-9 burst to open the fourth quarter stretched their advantage to 97-86. Wembanyama was sent to the bench moments later with five fouls, raising hopes of a Thunder comeback, but the Spurs held firm. A Champagnie three-pointer with roughly two minutes remaining effectively sealed the result.
A once-in-a-generation talent when selected by San Antonio with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft — LeBron James famously described him as more like an "alien" than a "unicorn" — Wembanyama was visibly emotional at the final buzzer. "Realising that some part of the childhood dream was going to come true," he said, adding of the upcoming Finals: "Winning the Larry O'Brien is a childhood dream. You never know when it's gonna happen again. The day we win it, it's going to be an amazing day — the realisation of a dream."
The Finals matchup carries historical resonance: the Spurs and Knicks last met for the championship in 1999, and their clash this season's NBA Cup final — won by New York 124-113 last December — adds a subplot of unfinished business. With neither franchise having claimed a title in over a decade, and no team having won back-to-back championships since the Golden State Warriors in 2018, the series offers both sides a rare opportunity. "We want four more. We're not done," Wembanyama said. "Go Spurs go."