The Spurs take down the Timberwolves in Game 6 to clinch and move on to the Conference Finals against OKC
From time to time, NBA.com’s writers will share their takes on the biggest storylines and trends around the league.
Who will win the Western Conference Finals and who is your pick for Conference Finals MVP?
Steve Aschburner
Oklahoma City and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. San Antonio’s run has been fun to watch as the precocious Spurs overachieved to win two rounds a bit before their time. But that ends here. The little brothers aren’t ready to stop the NBA’s most machine-like defending champions in years. The Thunder have the personnel and the experience to counter almost anything San Antonio throws at it – aside from some occasional extraterrestrial moments from Victor Wembanyama – and to force some hard lessons on the Spurs. Conceivably, a big series by Chet Holmgren, given his matchup at center, could put him in position for MVP. But let’s face it, it’s usually the big scorer who snags the hardware.
Brian Martin
Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the Spurs had the Thunder’s number this season — winning four of five meetings — those games came during the regular season and Emirates NBA Cup. Now, the stage is bigger and the stakes are higher. OKC knows this atmosphere well, while this is new territory for the young Spurs, who are trying to leap from missing the SoFi Play-In Tournament in 2025 to reaching the NBA Finals in 2026. While Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have exceeded expectations all season, they remain just 22, 21 and 20 years old, respectively. OKC’s experience — along with a healthy Jalen Williams — should prove to be the difference in what is likely the first of many playoff meetings between these two teams. For MVP, the reigning two-time Kia MVP will be the one with the ball in his hands when games are on the line, giving him another opportunity to showcase the skills that earned him Kia Clutch Player of the Year honors and add another trophy to his fast-growing collection.
Shaun Powell
Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There’s the temptation to announce the arrival of the Spurs and confirm the lopsided results between these two teams from the regular season when San Antonio dominated. And this series will go seven, for sure; Victor Wembanyama will see to that. But not only is Oklahoma City playing stellar basketball as well, but the Thunder haven’t been whole as they’ve been without Jalen Williams for most of these playoffs. He’ll probably need a game or two to recharge, but the depth of the Thunder will more than compensate, and their pesky defensive guards could teach valuable lessons to Spurs youngsters Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
John Schuhmann
Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s not going to be easy. He’ll be hounded by Stephon Castle, and Victor Wembanyama will be lurking. But the MVP still has the best ability of anybody in this series to get buckets against a great defense. The Thunder lost four of the five regular-season meetings, but Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 29.5 points in the four games he played against the Spurs, and the Oklahoma City offense was (not surprisingly) much better with him on the floor (115.4 points scored per 100 possessions) than it was with him off the floor (98.1 per 100).
Jeff Zillgitt
Oklahoma City Thunder and Chet Holmgren. This has the makings of a classic conference finals with the amount of talent involved. And while one player doesn’t determine outcomes, how effectively the Thunder can mitigate San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama on both sides of the court is crucial. As for series MVP, this pick is a little outside the box, considering Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won his second Kia MVP. But if Holmgren can limit Wembanyama, his impact will be recognized.
