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The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals undefeated in the NBA Playoffs since Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.
But they had not faced Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, and the 7-foot-4 big man finished with an amazing line of statistics – 41 points, 24 rebounds , three blocks and 12 free throws – in a thrilling victory, double overtime, 122-115, over the Thunder to set the tone in this series. FOX Sports ranked Wembanyama with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the final score of the period ensured a 122-115 double overtime result.
Like two heavyweights in the final round of a boxing match, haymakers were thrown left and right by the Spurs and Thunder, and Wembanyama had a big hand in it late in the fourth quarter when he drained a three-pointer with 11.5 seconds on the clock to give San Antonio a 101-99 lead.
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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player before the start of the series, came up short on the other end. With 3.1 seconds left in the game, his drive to the basket ended in a layup to force overtime.
The Spurs took a four-point lead into overtime, but Alex Caruso, who came off the bench and led the Thunder with 31 points, dropped his eighth Game 1 point to pull San Antonio apart.
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The Thunder used that momentum, as Jalen Williams had a dunk to take it 106-105, and Gilgeous-Alexander added to it with a dunk of his own. “Wemby,” however, was at the center of San Antonio’s late-game response Monday night, and perhaps his most important bucket was a shot from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama took the ball from Stephon Castle and added a 27-foot 3-pointer near the Oklahoma City logo to tie the game at 108 apiece with 27 seconds left. The Thunder bench couldn’t believe it, while the Spurs reserves exploded in this back-and-forth game.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter of Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Williams couldn’t hit a three-pointer at the other end, and despite making a great play, Caruso knocked down Dylan Harper’s alley-oop at Castle with 0.7 seconds left in overtime to keep the score at bay.
Needing another extra time, Wembanyama took the game into his own hands. He scored nine points in double overtime, and the Spurs were strong defensively, with Wembanyama and Devin Vassell coming up with key blocks at the end.
Castle finished with 11 assists to lead the Spurs in that stretch, while rookie guard Dylan Harper contributed 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a game-high seven steals in the win. The Spurs have been doing all this without veteran De’Aaron Fox, who they hope will return in Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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Williams had 26 points for Oklahoma City, while Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points on 7-of-23 shooting with 12 assists and five steals.
It’s been quite a run for the Thunder so far, but if this Game 1 is any indication of how this series will go, the Western Conference Finals could have a long and dramatic streak ahead.
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