All articles tagged with #west final
San Antonio will not ride Victor Wembanyama for every minute as they trail Oklahoma City 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals; OKC’s depth has dominated when Wembanyama rests, including a 76-23 edge from the Thunder’s bench in Game 3, while the Spurs deal with injuries to De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper and search for schematic fixes for Game 4 without sacrificing their team identity.
OKC’s bench carried the load in Game 3, outscoring San Antonio’s reserves 76-23 as Jared McCain dropped a playoff-career-high 24 points and Jaylin Williams added 18 in a 123-108 Thunder win to take a 2-1 series lead in the West Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 26 points and 12 assists with steady free-throw shooting, while Jalen Williams sat out with a hamstring reinjury and De’Aaron Fox returned for the Spurs. OKC limited Wembanyama to 26 points and 10 in the paint with multiple defenders, and the Thunder’s depth once again proved decisive ahead of Game 4 in San Antonio.
Spurs guards De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper were cleared to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, while Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams was ruled out with hamstring tightness; Fox posted 15 points and 6 assists in 31 minutes, Harper added 6 points off the bench, and Williams’ hamstring issues continue to impact OKC.
OKC recovered from Game 1’s double-overtime loss to beat San Antonio 122-113 and even the West Final at 1-1, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returning to MVP form (30 points, 9 assists) and the Thunder’s depth delivering, while bigs pressured Wembanyama and the bench outscored the Spurs’ reserves 57-25. Spurs turnovers (21 in Game 2, 23 in Game 1) continued to cost them, and injuries to Jalen Williams and Dylan Harper could influence Game 3 in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama’s 41-point, 24-rebound night powered the Spurs to a 122-115 double-overtime win over the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, delivering a record 9.2 million average TV viewers (peaking at 12.0 million) and about 1.3 billion social views. Wemby trended No. 1 on X for eight hours, and NBC/Peacock logged a record 2.3 million Average Minute Audience as the most-streamed NBC/Peacock NBA game ever. Game 2 airs 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
Thunder guard Jalen Williams left the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference Finals with left hamstring tightness and did not return, prompting Cason Wallace to start the second half; Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 122-113 to even the series at 1-1 and Williams will be evaluated on Thursday. Williams has missed extensive time this season with hamstring injuries, and Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander acknowledged the impact of his absence.
OKC enters the West Final with a league-best 64-win season and a deep 10-man rotation led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, aiming to hold off a Spurs team powered by Victor Wembanyama. OKC’s depth and efficient defense have powered wins over Phoenix and the Lakers, while San Antonio’s defense and Wembanyama’s dynamic impact pose a serious challenge. The series will test how the Thunder guard Wembanyama and whether the Spurs can steal a game or two; prediction: Thunder in six.