Two nights ago, the San Antonio Spurs were staring elimination right in the eyes. The defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder had control of the Western Conference Finals and had the young Spurs squad on the brink of elimination in their first playoff run. However, instead of folding under pressure like many felt they would, the Spurs responded.
First came the rout in Game 6 as San Antonio handed Oklahoma City a 27-point defeat to force a seventh and final game. On Saturday night, the Spurs faced
their biggest test yet: A Game 7 on the road in a hostile road environment to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. The moment never seemed too much for this Spurs team, not in this year.
Inside a loud and often times deafening Paycom Center, the Spurs played loose and confident as they defeated the Thunder 111-103 to win the Western Conference title and in the process, earning their first trip back to the NBA Finals since 2014.
“We had a lot of guys step up and make shots tonight, which we needed with a variety of people who had the double digit points, but it was a complete team effort,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.
As the final seconds ticked off, Devin Vassell put the exclamation point on the series with a breakaway dunk, sending most of the fans inside the arena towards the exits. As the buzzer sounded, emotion overcame Victor Wembanyama as he embraced his teammates, partly relieved but mostly excited. The franchise that has won five NBA championships and went through a rebuild was finally back on basketball’s biggest stage.
The victory wasn’t built on one moment, it was built on the emotion and resilience of a team that was told “not yet” by critics and talking heads on television. Instead, as Mike Tirco put it, “a new era has arrived.” Wembanyama, the face of the franchise and the centerpiece of its future, delivered when his team needed him the most. He scored 22 points and paced the Spurs’ defense, reminding everyone why he quickly becoming the next face of the league. But it wasn’t just Wemby who put the Spurs back in this position.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream and having a real shot at it, having a chance, a tangible chance at winning it realizing a dream,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a lifetime chance you never know what’s going to happen again.”
Julian Champagnie had one of the best games of his career, scoring 20 points and hitting six three-pointers. Every time Oklahoma City threatened to build momentum, Champagnie seemed to answer with another big shot from downtown. Stephon Castle, playing far beyond his years, continued his emergence as one of the postseason’s breakout stars with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Still, the Thunder refused to go down without a fight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put his team on his back, pouring in 35 points, and did everything possible to keep Oklahoma City alive. Each double-digit lead for San Antonio felt fragile when it was matched with another SGA bucket. Still, San Antonio proved this night and this Western Conference belongs to them.
When Oklahoma City cut into the lead during the second half, the Spurs answered with defensive stops. When Wembanyama found himself battling foul trouble late in the game, Luke Kornet came up with a huge block that resembled LeBron James against Golden State in 2016 that led to Mike Breen’s famous call “blocked by James!”. The ball continued to move. The defense continued to swarm.
Most importantly, the belief never disappeared and that’s what has made this run feel different. For years, the Spurs’ future was something to discuss. It was potential, draft picks, projections and being “on schedule”. Now, it is a reality. The young roster that spent the season learning how to win spent the postseason proving it could. Along the way, San Antonio survived injuries, overcame adversity and eliminated the defending champions on their home court.
“Coming here, my first full year, being able to be in the Finals, I don’t know about if I thought that, but I knew that we’re going to have a damn good team, and we continued to get better throughout the course of the season,” Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said.
The reward is a trip to the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, a rematch of the 1999 championship series that saw the Spurs win their first NBA title. This version of the Spurs, however, is creating its own legacy. The dynasty teams that had Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Gregg Popovich inspired a generation. This Spurs team is beginning to inspire the next one.
Now, after years of rebuilding and a season of learning how to win together, the Spurs are now four wins away from bringing another NBA Championship home to the Alamo City.
While the journey isn’t finished, for one unforgettable night in Oklahoma City, the Spurs arrived exactly where they’ve always believed they belong.
Game Notes
- Shoutout to Keldon Johnson, who struggled in these playoffs, but came up big when his team needed him to. He scored 11 points, including two huge three-pointers in fourth quarter.
- Dylan Harper had 12 points, showing the confidence of a seasoned veteran. He will be key in these NBA Finals.
- Devin Vassell didn’t have the best shooting night, but he did the little things that were needed for his team to come out on top.
- The Spurs will have three days off to prepare for the Knicks and, most importantly, give De’Aaron Fox and Harper time to recover from their lingering injuries.
