San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, thanks to stellar play from Victor Wembanyama to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
The Spurs dethroned the defending champions in their home arena and they will be playing the New York Knicks for the championship, which begins on Wednesday.
Wembanyama led the charge with 22 points and seven boards, while Julian Champagnie added a crucial 20 points with some important scoring in the third quarter and Stephon Castle chipped in 16 points to help San Antonio finish off a memorable series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points and nine assists, but Oklahoma City couldn’t overcome the absence of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, and it was too much for the Thunder on Saturday.
The Spurs took over in the second half, with Champagnie providing the spark to a second-half run, but with big defensive plays, the game was sealed, Luke Kornet adding a key rejection in the final minute.
For Oklahoma City, this defeat to the Spurs officially ends their chances of repeating as champions and this guarantees a new NBA Champion for the 8th season in a row, as they look to complete a remarkable season against the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
