Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals belonged to Victor Wembanyama, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122–115.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were off offensively in Monday’s home game at Paycom Center. More than three minutes passed in the first quarter before they scored their first points of the evening. Even the 18,203 fans decked out in blue t-shirts distributed by the team with “House of Thunder” written across the front cheering for last year’s NBA champions couldn’t motivate them to play up to their ability. San Antonio’s stifling defense, all 48 minutes of the game, particularly on their coverage of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was a difference maker.
As Gilgeous-Alexander goes, so go the Thunder. In the game’s first half, Gilgeous-Alexander shot one-for-five from the field, and totaled four points. His combined 24 points, 12 assists, and four turnovers in 51 minutes of play weren’t enough to stave off a Spurs victory. After the game, when reflecting on his personal performance, Gilgeous-Alexander held himself to a higher standard for Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday.
“We just got to be better—me, in particular,” Gilgeous-Alexander—the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs—said to ESPN.com after Monday’s loss. “I have to be better, especially against a team of this caliber. Nothing more than that.”
Prior to the start of Game 1, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented Gilgeous-Alexander with his 2025–2026 MVP trophy on the court. The award, now named after Michael Jordan, a five-time MVP winner, has been recognized since the 1955–1956 NBA season when Bob Pettit was the first to be awarded the trophy.
Wembanyama pumped in 41 points during his 49 minutes on the court, leading all scorers, adding 24 rebounds and making 12 free throws in his team’s double overtime victory.
The NBA’s 2025–2026 Defensive Player of the Year (first-ever unanimous winner), Wembanyama was a dominating force for the Spurs from the opening tipoff. San Antonio’s coach, Mitch Johnson, couldn’t have been happier with the performance his center put on against the Thunder.
“That young man, he has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him, and he has showed in his three years in a lot of different situations with a lot of different circumstances that he’s going to attack those moments,” Johnson said to NBA.com following Game 1. “Doesn’t mean they’ll always work out out for him or be exactly the outcome that he wants, but he has some rare God-given ability.”
Spurs rookie shooting guard Dylan Harper added to Wembanyama’s offensive assault on the Thunder by hitting for 24 points, and perhaps more importantly, registered seven steals. Oklahoma City countered the Spurs’ shooters with a gallant effort demonstrated by guard Alex Caruso’s 31 points. Caruso connected on eight of his 14 3-point attempts. He scored the Thunder’s first points on the night, a 3-point shot, after San Antonio had a 7–0 lead.
Confidence was high in the Spurs locker room following their win over the Thunder. Wembanyama succinctly put a cap on his team now being three victories away from appearing in the NBA Finals.
“A great effort—from everybody,” Wembanyama said to The Associated Press on Monday. At 22 years, 134 days, he became the youngest player with at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 22 years, 343 days when he had a 40/20 game when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971 NBA Finals.
At halftime, San Antonio led 51–44. The Spurs maintained their lead at the end of the third quarter by 80–73.
The Spurs were without their starting point guard De’Aaron Fox, who was nursing a sore right ankle that came about during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While diving for a loose ball, a Minnesota player landed on Fox’s ankle.
During the NBA’s regular season, Oklahoma City won the most games among all 30 teams, going 64–18. San Antonio was second in victories with a 62–20 record.
Even as the Thunder rallied from being down by 10 points to force overtime, Harper didn’t begin to lose confidence that the Spurs would prevail.
“Nah, I’m just trying to win. That’s the biggest thing on my mind,” Harper said to The San Antonio Express late Monday night. “We all went in there with the mindset of if it takes two overtimes, let’s double down and win.”
Game 2 between the Spurs and Thunder from Oklahoma City is on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.
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