The Thunder are dethroned, shameless and wildly unpopular. They’re still a great basketball team

Throughout the Western Conference finals, the San Antonio Spurs hoped that Victor Wembanyama could work enough magic while he was on the court to make up for the Oklahoma City Thunder annihilating them while he was off of it. Late in Game 7 on Saturday night, the Thunder must have been licking their chops. Wembanyama picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter. The Spurs led by six at the next break in play, a lead that could disappear in minutes with Wembanyama’s backup, Luke Kornet, on the floor. But there was no choice – Wembanyama checked out rather than risk fouling out.

Immediately, Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein picked off a pass and bolted down the floor to lay the ball in. That would have cut the Spurs’ lead to four, but more importantly may well have set into motion a trend we had seen throughout the series: When Wembanyama sits, the Thunder feast.

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Instead, Kornet – a competent but limited player – soared into the air with Hartenstein and blocked the ball into the backboard with an almighty thud. The Spurs recovered the rebound, and Stephon Castle’s short jumper ballooned San Antonio’s lead to eight. “Four-point swing – that might be the play of the game right there,” Reggie Miller said on the broadcast.

After a Thunder turnover, Kornet made way for Wembanyama. Kornet’s fourth-quarter stint lasted just 54 seconds, but he’d done his job. Then the Spurs’ talented, youthful core did theirs to complete a 111-103 win that proved experience isn’t always crucial in the NBA playoffs.

Though the Spurs and Thunder are headlined by extraordinary stars in Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, playoff basketball is about depth. For most of the series, the Thunder won that battle. Their superb bench sometimes outscored their starters. Such is the wealth of talent in the Thunder roster that their second-best player, Jalen Williams, and a vital offensive engine, Ajay Mitchell, sat out games with injuries, and at times they were barely missed. But in Game 7, only Gilgeous-Alexander was on song. He outscored the rest of the Thunder’s starters on his own, 35-31. By…

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Publish date : 2026-05-31 14:08:00

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