San Antonio withstood a monster performance from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win the Western Conference Finals. Up next: the New York Knicks.
SAN ANTONIO — The best two words in sports have arrived: Game 7.
For the 12th and final time this season, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will meet with everything on the line. The winner of Saturday’s decisive Western Conference Finals matchup will advance to the 2026 NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks, while the loser’s season will come to an end. After six games between the conference’s two 60-win powers, the series has delivered exactly what many expected, a heavyweight fight that now comes down to one winner-take-all showdown.
San Antonio forced the decisive game with its most complete performance of the series, rolling to a 118-91 victory in Game 6 at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs controlled the game from the opening tip and never allowed Oklahoma City to threaten, powered by another dominant effort from Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Stephon Castle added 17 points and nine assists, while the Spurs won the rebounding and assist battles and held the Thunder to just 37.2% shooting.
Despite entering Game 7 with momentum, the Spurs face a difficult task on the road.
Oklahoma City has won the last two games of the series at home and history favors the Thunder, with NBA home teams winning Game 7s roughly 73% of the time. The Thunder are 8-1 all-time in home Game 7s, while San Antonio is 1-5 in Game 7s away from home. Oklahoma City will also look for a bounce-back performance from two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is coming off his worst outing of the postseason after scoring just 15 points in Game 6.
The numbers suggest little separation between the teams.
San Antonio has won seven of the first 11 meetings this season, but both sides have largely won by comfortable margins rather than close finishes. The Spurs’ victories have come by an average of 14.6 points, while the Thunder’s wins have averaged 14.5 points.
Now, after nearly eight months and 11 meetings, the Western Conference title will be decided in one final game, with a trip to the NBA Finals hanging in the balance.
Find live updates from Game 7 below.
End of 4Q: Spurs 111, Thunder 103
The Spurs are in.
In a game that saw San Antonio grabbing its first double-digit lead just a few minutes in, the Silver & Black kept their composure – and the momentum – to stave off every Thunder run and win the Western Conference Finals.
Victor Wembanyama finished with 22 points and seven rebounds; Julian Champagnie added 20 points while hitting six of 10 from downtown.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 35 points, but the rest of the Thunder’s starting lineup combined for just 31 points.
The Spurs advance to their first NBA Finals since 2014 with the win; they’ll face the New York Knicks.
4Q, 6:48 remaining: Spurs 97, Thunder 91
With the season hanging in the balance, OKC went on a small run of their own and forced Wemby into committing his fifth foul with just a shade under seven minutes left in Game 7.
4Q, 8:00 remaining: Spurs 97, Thunder 86
The Spurs offense put the defending champs on the ropes with several threes and taking advantage of steals with fastbreak points, starting the final frame on a 17-9 run.
4Q, 9:52 remaining: Spurs 89, Thunder 82
Keldon Johnson started the 4th with back-to-back makes from behind the arc before Wemby started giving SGA a taste of his own medicine by taking a quick trip to the line to extend the lead to seven points.
End of 3Q: Spurs 80, Thunder 77
Despite SGA leading the game in scoring with 31 points, Wemby and the Spurs are holding on to a 3-point lead heading into the last quarter of the Western Conference Finals.
Free throws late in the third frame allowed OKC to stick around and keep things close heading into the 4th quarter.
3Q, 4:45 remaining: Spurs 76, Thunder 65
Chamagnie helped the Spurs extend their lead as he led the team with 17 points and five 3-pointers midway through the third quarter.
Wembanyama wasn’t too far behind him with 15 points and two from behind the arc himself.
HALFTIME: Spurs 56, Thunder 53
After going six quarters without having a lead in the series, the Thunder took their first lead of Game 7 on the back of a 13-point 2nd quarter from SGA.
Fox answered the call with a three, followed by a quick putback dunk from Johnson for the Spurs to take the lead back with a minute left in the half.
Wembanyama put a cherry on top of the first half with a bank shot to put the Spurs up by three points before heading to the locker rooms.
2Q, 3:09 remaining: Spurs 47, Thunder 44
Both teams continued playing at a fast pace to try and beat the defensive matchup down the court, which helped get SGA back into the game as he scored 11 of the last 13 points for OKC.
A hard foul from Caruso on what looked like an easy layup from Castle almost got things heated before Dylan Harper saved his teammate from a potential a scuffle.
2Q, 7:15 remaining: Spurs 42, Thunder 33
The Spurs still have a healthy lead, but the Thunder bench is asserting itself early, outscoring the Spurs reserves 16-7. OKC’s bench players have been a strength for a Thunder team that’s often been without the services of Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams – two of their leading scorers in these playoffs – during the Western Conference Finals.
End of 1Q: Spurs 32, Thunder 25
A first quarter of runs (and another errant Wemby elbow, this one resulting in an offensive foul) ends with the Spurs up seven after the Thunder started chipping away at what was a double-digit lead midway through the frame.
San Antonio has sported an attentive defense so far, forcing six OKC turnovers for seven points. Crucially, every Spurs starter is contributing–all five scored in the first half and made at least 50% of their field goals, aside from Devin Vassell (seven points, 2-of-6).
Stephon Castle’s nine points leads all players so far.
1Q, 6:32 remaining: Spurs 18, Thunder 8
With authority!
A thunderous Castle jam punctuates an 18-8 Spurs run to start Game 7; San Antonio has taken advantage of some early Oklahoma City turnovers and smart passing to grab the first double-digit lead on either side.
Hot starts have been characteristic of the Spurs in this series, and indeed in these playoffs. The question is whether they can keep their foot on the gas as things progress.
1Q, 8:12 remaining: Spurs 10, Thunder 4
Area 51 is shining an early tractor beam down on Oklahoma City.
Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama have eight of the team’s first 10 points in the early going, combining for a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in San Antonio’s game-opening salvo.