Spurs win Game 1 in double OT as Wembanyama posts 40 points, 20 rebounds

San Antonio opened the Western Conference finals by taking home-court advantage from Oklahoma City on May 18, beating the Thunder 122-115 in double overtime at Paycom Center. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 41 points and 24 rebounds in 50 minutes, according to NBA and box-score reports, and hit a 28-foot 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game at 108-108. The result gave the Spurs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against the defending champions. Game 2 is scheduled for May 20 in Oklahoma City. ### How did San Antonio take Game 1 on the road? The Spurs won the extra periods 23-16 after the teams were tied at the end of regulation and again after the first overtime. NBA.com’s Game 1 recap said Wembanyama’s late 3-pointer in the first overtime halted Oklahoma City’s momentum and extended the game. Dylan Harper added 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals for San Antonio, according to The Associated Press and game reports. The Spurs also got key late stretches from Devin Vassell and their bench as Oklahoma City absorbed its first home loss of the postseason. ### What made Wembanyama’s night historic? Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and Yahoo Sports reported he became the youngest player ever to record a 40-point, 20-rebound game in the playoffs. Yahoo also said he was the seventh player in NBA history to post 40 and 20 in the conference finals or later. The 21-year-old had a double-double by halftime and stayed on the floor deep into the second overtime. NBA.com described his first conference finals game as a historic performance, while multiple game reports listed it as the highest-scoring and highest-rebounding line of the night by either team. ### What did Oklahoma City get from its stars? Oklahoma City pushed the game into two overtimes on its home floor, but the Thunder could not close after leading late in the first extra session. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s Most Valuable Player, was central to the Thunder offense throughout the night, with the matchup framed before tipoff as a showdown between Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama. The Thunder entered the series with home-court advantage and had not lost at home in this postseason, according to game coverage from NBA.com and other outlets. That edge disappeared with Monday’s result, leaving Oklahoma City to try to level the series before it shifts to San Antonio. ### Why does the double-overtime finish matter in the series? Game 1 immediately changed the series math because San Antonio now holds the lead and has already won once in Oklahoma City. Sporting News said the Spurs removed the Thunder’s home-court advantage early in the series by winning the opener on the road. The finish also underscored how narrow the margin was. NBA.com and Yahoo both highlighted Wembanyama’s tying shot in the first overtime as the possession that kept San Antonio alive, and the Spurs then controlled the second overtime. ### What comes next? Game 2 is set for May 20 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. ESPN’s playoff schedule lists Thunder-Spurs as the Western Conference finals matchup, with the NBA Finals scheduled to begin June 3 on ABC.