4 takeaways: Victor Wembanyama’s huge night lifts Spurs over OKC in double-OT instant classic
The stars show out in OKC as the Spurs hold on to win Game 1 in a thriller.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have a big problem to solve in the Western Conference Finals.
The problem is Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-4 star, who delivered a historic performance in his first conference finals game.
The Thunder knew that coming into the series, and that point was underscored multiple times in the Spurs’ 122-115 double-overtime victory against the Thunder in Game 1 on Monday.
Wembanyama and the Spurs – most of them appearing in their first conference finals – were unfazed by the magnitude of playing the defending champions on the road with a spot in the NBA Finals at stake.
Wembanyama was sensational, rookie Dylan Harper soared in an unexpected start and the Spurs persevered through the highs and lows of high-pressure playoff hoops for a stunning 1-0 series lead in an instant classic.
“It got to the point probably sometime at the end of that fourth quarter, it just felt like there was a war of wills, a level of mental toughness by both teams,” said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.
His Thunder counterpart, Mark Daigneault, said: “One of the things I love about this team is our problem solving … We’ve got to solve a few problems and be better in Game 2.”
It was an intense welcome to the conference finals. Has your heart rate returned to normal? Can it take potentially six more of these games?
Game 2 is Wednesday in Oklahoma City (8:30 ET, NBC/Peacock).
Here are takeaways from the series opener:
1. Wembanyama’s monumental impact
Victor Wembanyama joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in their conference finals debut.
Playing a career-high 48 minutes, 42 seconds, Wembanyama had 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks and became the first player to have 30 or more points and 20 or more rebounds in his conference finals debut since Wilt Chamberlain went for 42 and 29 in 1960.
He is also the second player 22 years old or younger since the NBA-ABA merger five decades ago to collect at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game. Nine of his rebounds were offensive, helping the Spurs to 13 second-chance points.
“That young man, he has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him, and he has showed in his three years in a lot of different situations with a lot of different circumstances that he’s going to attack those moments,” Johnson said. “Doesn’t mean they’ll always work out for him or be exactly the outcome that he wants, but he has some rare God-given ability.”
R U KIDDING ME?!
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Wembanyama was a force, making a 28-foot 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the score at 108-108, end Thunder momentum and force the second OT. He scored the first four points of the second overtime for a 112-108 Spurs lead, and his two-handed dunk with 1:01 left in the second overtime gave the Spurs a 118-114 advantage.
The Thunder wanted to play physical with Wembanyama, and the Thunder’s Alex Caruso spent considerable time defending Wembanyama, who made 12 of his 13 free throw attempts. Wembanyama absorbed the physicality and had moments of bully-ball, overpowering the Thunder with his size, strength and finesse at the rim.
Wembanyama took note of the MVP ceremony for Gilgeous-Alexander before the game. “It feels like I still have a lot to learn,” he said. “And I want to get that trophy many times in my career.”
2. Gilgeous-Alexander struggles early, shines late
The Spurs made sure multiple players focused on Gilgeous-Alexander – sometimes three defenders in an attempt to limit his driving, shooting and passing. The Spurs opened the series unwilling to let Gilgeous-Alexander beat them.
In the first half, Gilgeous-Alexander was 1-for-5 from the field, had five assists and two turnovers and was a minus-15. He discovered his offense as the game progressed and scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half and overtimes. He finished with 12 assists, finding a way to help the Thunder score without making shots.
“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve just got to be better. Me in particular, (I have) to play better especially against a team of this caliber. Nothing more than that.”
3. Caruso almost delivers a victory for Thunder
Alex Caruso delivers 31 points and stellar defense throughout Game 1.
If guarding Wembanyama wasn’t difficult enough for Caruso, the Thunder needed his offense, too. Caruso scored a career-high and team-high 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 8-for-14 on 3-pointers.
The Spurs decided to put Wembanyama on Caruso for key moments while giving Wembanyama room to play free safety. It gave Caruso open looks, and he took advantage.
“The further you get in the playoffs, the better the teams are and that usually means you’re doing two things,” Caruso said. “You’re physically putting in a lot of effort and then there’s a mental aspect. That’s part of the game. That’s what makes the playoffs so great. The details of winning are really important.”
4. Harper stars in place of injured Fox for Spurs
Dylan Harper records 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals in a crucial spot start.
Just before tip-off, the Spurs announced De’Aaron Fox was out for Game 1 with right ankle soreness, and Harper got the start.
According to San Antonio’s public relations staff, the Spurs put out the youngest starting lineup in conference finals history with Harper (20), Stephon Castle (21), Devin Vassell (25), Julian Champagnie (24) and Wembanyama (22) – average age 22 years, 346 days.
Moving Harper into the starting lineup made the Spurs less deep. However, his effort helped produce a victory.
He had 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, six assists and just one turnover and is just the second rookie with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a playoff game since steals were first recorded in 1973-74, joining Magic Johnson (1980).
“I feel like not a lot of people get this experience just to be a part of such a great organization, a great group of guys,” Harper said. “I feel like the locker room is great. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This is kind of where I’m supposed to be and just keep on just taking step after step.”
5. Thunder need more from their bigs
Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were terrific against the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals. In Game 1 against San Antonio, they combined for 10 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks and will need to be much better offensively and on the glass.
Holmgren didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter and didn’t make his first shot until a 3-pointer with 42.4 seconds left in the second quarter.
Holmgren had eight points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes, and Hartenstein had just two points and two rebounds in 12 minutes as Daigneault sought the right combinations to counter the Spurs.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams returned to the lineup after missing the previous six games with a strained left hamstring and was productive with 26 points and seven rebounds.
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at [email protected], find his archive here and follow him on X.
