Victor Wembanyama put the San Antonio Spurs back in the NBA Finals on Saturday night, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a 111-103 Game 7 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to ESPN, the win ended the Thunder's reign as defending champions and sent San Antonio to the NBA Finals. Wembanyama was described as emotional after the win.
Oklahoma City had little to say in the aftermath beyond accepting the result. The Thunder tipped their cap to the Spurs after the loss and said they needed to try to get over the hump against a team that now looms as a long-term roadblock in the Western Conference. Players said there were no excuses, just a need to get better.
The Spurs' return to the Finals is a significant moment for a franchise that won five championships between 1999 and 2014 but had been rebuilding around Wembanyama, the generational center selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. San Antonio will now await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals.