Spurs Triumph in Double Overtime Game Against Thunder
In a thrilling double overtime matchup, the San Antonio Spurs edged out the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in the Western Conference Finals opener on Monday night. Victor Wembanyama shone brightly, recording 41 points and 24 rebounds, while Dylan Harper contributed 24 points and a record-setting seven steals for the team.
Wembanyama put an exclamation point on the victory with two dunks in the last minute, one of which turned into a three-point play, thus securing home court advantage for the Spurs. This marked the Spurs’ fifth victory against the Thunder in six games this season.
Other contributions came from Stephon Castle with 17 points, and Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, who each scored 13. Julien Champagnie also added 11 points. Interestingly, the Spurs played without De’Aaron Fox due to an ankle strain.
“It was a great effort from everyone,” said Wembanyama, who, at just 22 years and 134 days old, became the youngest player in playoff history to score at least 40 points and grab 20 rebounds. The previous record holder, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was 22 years and 343 days at the time.
On the Thunder side, Alex Caruso came off the bench to score 31 points, the second-highest of his career, but his playoff winning streak ended at nine games. Jaylen Williams, back after a six-game absence due to a hamstring strain, scored 26 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed 24 points along with 12 assists, despite shooting only 7-of-23. This game fell on the night he won his second consecutive MVP award.
This double overtime game marks just the sixth time in NBA playoff history that a Game 1 has gone to double overtime, the first instance since 2013, when the Spurs faced the Warriors.
With the clock ticking down, Wembanyama decided it was time to seal the deal.
Wednesday will bring Game 2 back in Oklahoma City.
“It was a battle of wills,” commented Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “The mental toughness shown by both teams was immense. We needed every single second and every player.”
The Spurs faced a 10-point deficit with just over nine minutes left in regulation but rallied during a intense closing stretch that saw multiple lead changes and ties within two minutes.
Wembanyama almost clinched it on the final play of regulation but was thwarted by Chet Holmgren. He bounced back in overtime, landing a game-tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds left, sending the game into a second overtime.
“We have to improve from this game,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.
Gilgeous-Alexander experienced his worst shooting performance in the first half in nearly three years, managing only four points on 1-of-5 shooting. This was the first time since October 29, 2023, in a stretch of 270 games, that he didn’t make at least two field goals before halftime.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama dominated, impressively dunking over multiple defenders and finishing the first half with 14 points and 10 rebounds, showing he could handle the pressure of the playoffs.
The Spurs led just 51-44 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander found his rhythm, helping the Thunder to briefly regain the lead. However, the Spurs remained steady, maintaining a seven-point margin and entering the fourth quarter ahead 80-73.
