Spurs dethrone Thunder in Game 7 to punch ticket to first NBA Finals since 2014

Two nights ago, the San Antonio Spurs were staring elimination right in the eyes. The defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder had control of the Western Conference Finals and had the young Spurs squad on the brink of elimination in their first playoff run. However, instead of folding under pressure like many felt they would, the Spurs responded.

First came the rout in Game 6 as San Antonio handed Oklahoma City a 27-point defeat to force a seventh and final game. On Saturday night, the Spurs faced their biggest test yet: A Game 7 on the road in a hostile road environment to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. The moment never seemed too much for this Spurs team, not in this year.

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Inside a loud and often times deafening Paycom Center, the Spurs played loose and confident as they defeated the Thunder 111-103 to win the Western Conference title and in the process, earning their first trip back to the NBA Finals since 2014.

“We had a lot of guys step up and make shots tonight, which we needed with a variety of people who had the double digit points, but it was a complete team effort,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.

As the final seconds ticked off, Devin Vassell put the exclamation point on the series with a breakaway dunk, sending most of the fans inside the arena towards the exits. As the buzzer sounded, emotion overcame Victor Wembanyama as he embraced his teammates, partly relieved but mostly excited. The franchise that has won five NBA championships and went through a rebuild was finally back on basketball’s biggest stage.

The victory wasn’t built on one moment, it was built on the emotion and resilience of a team that was told “not yet” by critics and talking heads on television. Instead, as Mike Tirco put it, “a new era has arrived.” Wembanyama, the face of the franchise and the centerpiece of its future, delivered when his team needed him the most. He scored 22 points and paced the Spurs’ defense, reminding everyone why he quickly becoming the next face of the league. But it wasn’t just Wemby who put the Spurs back in this position.

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