Wembanyama leads Spurs past Thunder in double-OT Game 1 thriller in WCF

The Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals without losing an NBA Playoff game since Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.

But they had yet to face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, and the 7-foot-4 big man set the tone for that series with a thrilling 122-115 double-overtime victory over the Thunder, finishing with a remarkable stat line of 41 points, 24 rebounds, three blocks and 12 free throws. FOX Sports recorded Wembanyama with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the final score of the period confirmed the double overtime result of 122-115.

Like two heavyweights in the final round of a boxing match, haymakers were thrown left and right by the Spurs and Thunder, and Wembanyama had a big stake late in the fourth quarter, making a three-point comeback with 11.5 seconds left on the clock to put San Antonio up 101-99.

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However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player before the start of the series, came up clutch on the other end. His run to the basket with 3.1 seconds left in the game ended with a tying layup to force overtime.

The Spurs took a 4-point lead in overtime, but Alex Caruso, who came off the bench to lead the Thunder with 31 points, made his eighth three-pointer in Game 1 to cut the lead to one for San Antonio.

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The Thunder capitalized on the momentum, with Jalen Williams dunking for a 106-105 lead, and Gilgeous-Alexander adding to it with a dunk of his own. But “Wemby” was at the center of San Antonio’s late-game response on Monday night, and perhaps his most important shot was the one from well beyond the arc.

Wembanyama took the ball from Stephon Castle and added to the guard’s assist total with a 27-foot 3-pointer near the Oklahoma City logo, reaching 108 points with 27 seconds left. In this back-and-forth duel, Spurs’ reserves exploded while the Thunder bench couldn’t believe it.

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunks on Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter of Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

Williams couldn’t make a three-pointer at the other end, and although he made a great play, Caruso knocked down Dylan Harper’s alley-oop attempt to Castle with just 0.7 seconds left in overtime to keep the score where it was.

Needing another extra period, Wembanyama took the game into his hands. Wembanyama and Devin Vassell eventually came through with key blocks as Spurs strengthened defensively as they scored nine points in double overtime.

While Castle led the Spurs in this category with 11 assists, rookie guard Dylan Harper also made significant contributions to the victory with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and a game-high 7 steals. The Spurs were doing all of this without veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, who they hope will return for Game 2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

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While Williams scored 26 points for Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 24 points on 7/23 shooting, 12 assists and 5 steals.

It’s been a dominant series for the Thunder to this point, but if this Game 1 is any indication of how this series will play out, it could be a long and dramatic series ahead of the Western Conference Finals.

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