Spurs beat Thunder in double overtime Game 1

San Antonio opened the Western Conference finals with a 122-115 double-overtime win over Oklahoma City on Monday night, stealing home-court advantage from the top seed in the West. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks, while Dylan Harper added 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. Oklahoma City got 31 points from Alex Caruso off the bench and 24 points with 12 assists from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Thunder could not close out a game that stretched through two extra periods. ### How did San Antonio take Game 1 on the road? The Spurs won the rebounding battle 61-40 and got multiple double-figure contributions around Wembanyama in a game that turned late in regulation and stayed tight through overtime. Stephon Castle finished with 17 points and 11 assists, and NBA.com said San Antonio had three other scorers in double figures. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) Oklahoma City leaned on its bench to stay in the game. The Thunder had a 50-16 edge in bench points, with Caruso hitting eight 3-pointers, but San Antonio’s size and second-chance work showed up over 58 minutes. ### Why was Wembanyama’s night historic? Wembanyama posted playoff career highs in both points and rebounds in his conference finals debut. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) NBA.com said he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals debut. At age 22, Wembanyama also became the youngest player in NBA history to post a 40-point, 20-rebound game in the postseason, according to the NBA live blog. NBA.com’s game recap said he scored 20 combined points across the fourth quarter and the two overtime periods. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) ### What did Harper add beside the scoring? Harper’s line gave San Antonio a second playmaker and a disruptive defender next to Wembanyama. The rookie’s 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals made him the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to record at least 15 points, five rebounds and five steals in a playoff game, NBA.com said. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) His seven steals were also described by the New York Post as a Spurs playoff record. That production helped San Antonio withstand Oklahoma City’s bench scoring and survive a game in which Gilgeous-Alexander still produced 24 points and 12 assists. ### What went wrong for Oklahoma City? (api-hub-uat.nba.com) Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points on 23 shots, and NBA.com said San Antonio repeatedly dropped into the lane to make life harder for the reigning Kia MVP. The Thunder still generated offense through Caruso and their second unit, but they were outworked on the glass and could not finish the opener at home. (nypost.com) NBA.com noted that teams winning Game 1 of the conference finals have gone on to win the series 78.2% of the time in league history. That figure does not decide this series, but it underscored the immediate pressure on Oklahoma City after losing the opener as the No. 1 seed. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) ### When is the next game? Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, in Oklahoma City at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, according to the NBA’s playoff schedule. The best-of-seven series then shifts to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4 on May 22 and May 24. The NBA Finals are set to begin on June 3 on ABC. In the West, San Antonio now leads the series 1-0 after taking the opener on the road. (api-hub-uat.nba.com) (nba.com)