Victor Wembanyama arrived at his first conference finals game and announced himself without apology. The 22-year-old delivered 41 points and 24 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime Monday night, stealing home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals series opener.
The game hinged on Wembanyama's composure in the final minutes. He sealed victory with back-to-back dunks in the closing stretch, including a three-point play that put the Spurs beyond reach. His performance marked the youngest player ever to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game, a record he shattered at 22 years and 134 days old.
Wembanyama's efficiency was striking. He shot 14 for 25 from the field and a nearly perfect 12 for 13 from the foul line. His most crucial shot came in the first overtime when he drained a three-pointer from well beyond the arc to tie the game, a moment his teammate Stephon Castle described as vintage Wembanyama. "Confidence through the roof," Castle said. "Once the ball went up, I'm like, oh, it's going in. It's kind of just who he is."
The Spurs' supporting cast delivered when needed. Dylan Harper contributed 24 points and set a team playoff record with seven steals. Castle added 17 points, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 13. San Antonio outrebounded Oklahoma City 61-40, a dominating disparity that reflected their control of the boards throughout the grueling affair.
Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso came off the bench to score 31 points, the second-highest total of his career, but it wasn't enough to offset Wembanyama's dominance. Jalen Williams returned from a six-game absence to contribute 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who received his second straight Most Valuable Player award earlier in the evening, finished with 24 points and 12 assists but shot just 7 for 23. He acknowledged after the loss that he needed to perform better.
The Thunder's nine-game playoff winning streak dating back to last season's NBA Finals ended abruptly. It was only the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to extend to double overtime, and the first since a Spurs-Warriors matchup in 2013.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised the mental fortitude required to win such a taxing contest. "It was a war of wills," he said. "The levels of mental toughness exuded by both teams... we needed every second from everybody that played."
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the challenge Wembanyama presents. "I think he's a great player with high impact obviously, and when you play against those players it's kind of an acquired thing," Daigneault said. "You're learning as you go."
When asked if he agreed with Castle's declaration that he's the best player in the world, Wembanyama deflected with characteristic humility. "The world is eight billion people," he said. "That's eight billion opinions."
The series continues Wednesday night in Oklahoma City for Game 2.
Author James Rodriguez: "Wembanyama just announced to the league that his moment has arrived, and it came on the road in double overtime against an MVP-caliber opponent. That's the kind of introduction conference finals moments demand."
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