The San Antonio Spurs, led by superstar Victor Wembanyama, advanced to the NBA Finals by defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday, securing a championship series against the New York Knicks.
The Spurs won the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 4-3 to reach the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday in San Antonio against the Knicks.
Emotional Victory for Wembanyama
"Though we're still hungry for one more, this feeling is, I can't explain it, it's so powerful," Wembanyama said. "We want four more. We're not done. Go Spurs go."
The French 7-foot-4 center scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Julian Champagnie added 20 points, including six three-pointers, and Stephon Castle contributed 16 points for the Spurs, who led the decisive contest for nearly the entire game.
"We had a good team, a great team," Champagnie said. "We had to stay the course and play a good game. We were passing the ball. We were playing as a team. We come out here and play together."
Champagnie added, "We never knew if we were going to get this far but when you've got the greatest player in the world things happen."
Wembanyama, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference finals and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, downplayed the individual honor. "It doesn't mean anything for me other than the fact we are a team," he said. "I got this for all of us and all the fans right here."
Of his teammates, Wembanyama said, "They don't even know how much I love them. They are just incredible. Everybody stepped up tonight."
The 22-year-old Frenchman dominated in his first playoff Game 7 and was emotional at the finish, laughing and crying and hugging teammates after reaching his first NBA Finals. "Realizing that some part of the childhood dream was going to come true," he said of his reaction.
Finals Rematch of NBA Cup
The win sets up an NBA Finals rematch of this season's NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won 124-113 against the Spurs in Las Vegas last December.
NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 35 points.
Experience Overcome
A Spurs squad with only one player who had previously been in a Game 7 overcame a more experienced Thunder team that won the title in a Game 7 last year.
"Back in October we knew we had a chance to be pretty good," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "There's a lot being talked about, words like competitiveness, resolve, togetherness, execution -- who gives a damn about the word experience? They had to go out and execute and they did."
Wembanyama hit two three-pointers in a 17-9 run to start the fourth quarter that lifted the Spurs ahead 97-86 with eight minutes remaining. He was whistled for his fifth foul seconds later and went to the bench, boosting Thunder hopes in the dying minutes while Gilgeous-Alexander tried to rally the reigning champions.
Spurs fill-in big man Luke Kornet blocked a fast break dunk attempt by Isaiah Hartenstein, and the Spurs added a Castle basket and a Champagnie three-pointer for a 102-91 lead with 5:33 to play. The Thunder charged in the final seconds but could never close the gap within a possession at the end.
The Thunder, without forward Jalen Williams due to a hamstring injury, had 20 first-half points from reserves and 17 from offensive rebounds to stay close. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 of his 19 first-half points in a 20-5 Thunder run that gave Oklahoma City a 53-49 lead. San Antonio, however, closed the first half on a 7-0 run, with a dunk by Wembanyama giving the Spurs a 56-53 halftime edge.
Champagnie sank three three-pointers and two free throws for 11 points in a 16-2 Spurs run that lifted San Antonio ahead 76-65, but Gilgeous-Alexander sparked a 12-3 run to set the stage for the late fightback.
