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The MVP was awarded to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Victor Wembanyama seemed to take it personally. He proceeded to have one of the all-time playoff performances pouring in 41 points (including a 28-foot bomb to tie the game when it appeared to be slipping away from the Spurs) and pulling down 24 rebounds in San Antonio’s Game 1 122-115 win in double overtime to take home court advantage away from the defending champs.
OKC struggled to convert open looks especially early. Other than Alex Caruso who was 8-14 from deep, the Thunder shot an uncharacteristic 9-31 (29%) from beyond the arc. Chet Holmgren took only seven shots. SGA was 7-23 from the floor. In his first game in a month, Jalen Williams took 25 shots and looked exhausted late in the game. All those issues are and probably will be addressed and corrected. No question SGA and co. will make adjustments and be better tonight…especially on offense.
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In the words of former Houston Rockets’ coach Rudy Tomjanovich, “never underestimate the heart of a champion”.
But it is not as if the Spurs played a perfect game. Wemby was beyond elite, but there is little reason to think he will be less than that tonight. In addition, Stephon Castle turned the ball over 11 times running the point in place of the injured De’Aaron Fox. Castle simply wasted more than a few possessions. In addition to Castle’s carelessness with the ball, San Antonio as a team shot just 30% from three. The onus is on the Thunder to adjust and they will, but there is no reason to believe the Spurs can’t play better themselves. For example, rookie Dylan Harper now has a game as a starter in an NBA Conference Final under his belt.
What few of the pundits discussed yesterday is Wembanyama’s true hatred of losing and his ability to properly channel the loss of say, the MVP into extra juice on the court.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
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We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game,…
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Publish date : 2026-05-20 13:41:00
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