The San Antonio Spurs have forced a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91. The Spurs’ Game 6 victory tied the series at 3-3. Victor Wembanyama led the way with a dominant performance.
Wembanyama’s Big Night Powers Spurs
Victor Wembanyama rebounded from his Game 5 performance with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had said Wembanyama would need to take more than 15 shots and score more than 20 points for the Spurs to win Game 6. Wembanyama achieved those numbers in the first half.
Wembanyama made three 3-pointers in the opening quarter, including two in the first 86 seconds. He finished with 28 points (12 on 4-for-9 from 3-point range), 10 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists. This was an improvement over his 20-point, six-rebound effort in Game 5.
Mitch Johnson said that Wembanyama’s “will and intent on leaving his imprints on the game” was key. Johnson added, “His passion and desire for being right where he is and at the forefront of it all and to take the responsibility and the role and the burden of what he does, I don’t know what else to say.
Guards Step Up in Crucial Win
Wembanyama wasn’t the only reason for the Spurs’ victory. The Spurs’ guards were tremendous, including Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. San Antonio’s defence pressured the Thunder into a poor offensive effort. Hot 3-point shooting to start the game propelled the Spurs.
When and Where to Watch Game 7
Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday in Oklahoma City. Tip-off is at 8 ET, and the game will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock.
“I know there’ll be a lot of added attention, a lot of eyes watching,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’ll be a hostile environment, but we’ve been saying this for a long time. We’ve had a lot of firsts. This one will be a little bit more important or higher stakes than all the others.”
The Stakes
The winner of Game 7 gets a best-of-7 against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The Thunder are the defending champions. The Spurs are trying to get back to The Finals for the first time since winning it all in 2014.
Mitch Johnson stated that Wembanyama is comfortable with the added pressure. “He is comfortable with that regardless of the outcome and what that may look like. And I think that’s maybe his biggest growth this year of not waiting for it to be perfect or necessarily to know what to do all the time but attack the moment and have the right approach and live with the results.”
A trend has emerged: if Wembanyama is in the neighborhood of a 30-10 double-double with a few blocks, the Spurs will win.
Game 7 promises to be a high-stakes encounter. The winner advances to the NBA Finals for a showdown against the New York Knicks.