Victor Wembanyama Drops 41 Points as Spurs Edge Thunder 122-115 in 2OT to Claim Game 1

Behind a historical night from their French center and clutch production from rookies Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, San Antonio handles the pressure on the road to snap OKC's playoff win streak.

Photo: Reuters

The 2026 Western Conference Finals opened with an instant classic that pushed both rosters to their absolute physical limits. The San Antonio Spurs weathered an intense road environment to defeat the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-115 in a dramatic double-overtime thriller at the Paycom Center. With this victory, San Antonio takes a 1-0 series lead and claims home-court advantage in a matchup featuring the two regular-season heavyweights who registered 62 and 64 wins, respectively.

The night belonged to French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year spoiled the hometown celebration for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who presented his second consecutive regular-season MVP trophy to the fans before tip-off. "Wemby" posted a video-game stat line, racking up 41 points, 24 rebounds, and 3 blocks across more than 50 minutes of play. The Spurs' big man sealed the win in the second overtime with back-to-back dunks in the final minute—including a crucial three-point play—marking San Antonio's fifth win over Oklahoma City in six meetings this season.

San Antonio's triumph is even more impressive given the late scratch of star point guard De'Aaron Fox, who missed the contest due to a sprained left ankle. In his absence, the rookies stepped up on the biggest stage. Guard Dylan Harper delivered a historic playoff performance, logging 24 points, 11 rebounds, and a franchise playoff-record 7 steals. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 11 assists to anchor the backcourt distribution, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson added 13 points apiece.

For Oklahoma City, a week-long layoff after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the previous round led to some early execution rust. Despite welcoming back Jalen Williams—who scored 26 points following a hamstring injury—and a heroic bench effort from Alex Caruso with 31 points, the Thunder saw their nine-game postseason winning streak come to an end. A late three-pointer by Caruso gave OKC the lead with under two minutes left in regulation, but the young Spurs forced extra periods where defensive execution ultimately secured the victory.