Wembanyama has 41 points, 24
rebounds and Spurs top Thunder 122-115 in 2OT to open West finals
[May 19, 2026]
By TIM REYNOLDS
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Victor Wembanyama had 41 points and 24
rebounds, Dylan Harper finished with 24 points and a team
playoff-record seven steals, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the
Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a double-overtime classic to open
the Western Conference finals Monday night.
Wembanyama sealed it with a pair of dunks in the final minute, one
of them leading to a three-point play as the Spurs stole home-court
advantage and beat the Thunder for the fifth time in six meetings
this season.
Stephon Castle had 17 points, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each
scored 13 and Julian Champagnie added 11 for the Spurs, who were
without DeAaron Fox because of ankle stiffness.
A great effort from everybody, said Wembanyama, who, at 22
years, 134 days, 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 in the 1970 NBA Finals.
Alex Caruso scored 31 points, the second-highest scoring game of his
career, off the bench for the Thunder whose nine-game playoff
winning streak dating to Game 7 of last season's Finals was snapped.
Jalen Williams returned from a six-game absence caused by a
hamstring strain and scored 26 points for the Thunder, while Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander on the night he got his second straight Most
Valuable Player trophy had 24 points and 12 assists but shot 7 for
23.
It was the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to go into double
overtime the first since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013.
And as the clock ticked toward midnight, Wembanyama decided enough
was enough.
Game 2 is Wednesday at Oklahoma City.
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San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates with
guard Devin Vassell (24) during the second overtime of Game 1 in a
third-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City
Thunder Monday, May 18, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony
Gutierrez)
It was a war of wills, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson
said. The levels of mental toughness exuded by both teams ... we
needed every second from everybody that played.
The Spurs were up by 10 with 9:10 left in regulation, wasted it all,
then survived a frantic final stretch where the lead changed hands
twice and the game was tied three times in a span of less than two
minutes.
Wembanyama had an off-balance chance to win it on the last play of
regulation, but Chet Holmgren swatted it away. In overtime,
Wembanyama more than atoned connecting on a tying 3-pointer from
well behind the arc with 28 seconds left to tie the game and send it
to a second OT.
We have to get better from this game, Thunder coach Mark
Daigneault said.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst first half, shooting-wise, in
nearly three years 1 for 5 from the field, four points. It was the
first time since Oct. 29, 2023, a span of 270 appearances including
playoffs, that he didn't have at least two field goals before
halftime.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama was doing whatever he wanted dunking over
trios of defenders, flexing at times, finishing the half with 14
points and 10 rebounds, looking perfectly comfortable in his debut
on this stage.
And the Spurs' lead was only seven at the break, 51-44.
Gilgeous-Alexander got a couple shots to fall in the third, and the
Thunder even briefly reclaimed the lead. But the Spurs were unfazed
and the margin was still seven. San Antonio was ahead 80-73 going
into the fourth.
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