Spurs beat Thunder in double-overtime Game 1

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs opened the Western Conference finals by taking the Thunder’s home court. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime on Monday night at Paycom Center, giving the Spurs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. (apnews.com) Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and Dylan Harper added 24 points as San Antonio outlasted the defending champions in a game that stretched deep into the night. The result gave Oklahoma City its first loss of the postseason and immediately changed the shape of the series. (nba.com) NBA.com said the Spurs won the rebounding battle 61-40, while the Thunder got 31 points from Alex Caruso off the bench and 24 points with 12 assists from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. ### How big was Wembanyama’s night? Victor Wembanyama delivered one of the biggest games of his playoff career in his conference finals debut. The Associated Press said he had 41 points and 24 rebounds, while NBA.com said he added three blocks and played 49 minutes. (apnews.com) NBA.com said Wembanyama became one of only two players, alongside Wilt Chamberlain, to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals debut. The league also said he became the youngest player in NBA history with a 40-point, 20-rebound game in the postseason. (nba.com) ### Who else swung the game for San Antonio? Dylan Harper gave San Antonio a second star line in the opener. The Associated Press said Harper finished with 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals, and NBA.com said he also had 11 rebounds and six assists. (apnews.com) Stephon Castle also helped stabilize the Spurs late. NBA.com said Castle scored 17 points and handed out 11 assists, even as San Antonio dealt with 21 turnovers as a team. (nba.com) ### What went wrong for Oklahoma City? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander never fully controlled the game by his usual standards. NBA.com said San Antonio crowded the lane and held the reigning Kia MVP to 24 points on 23 shots, though he still finished with 12 assists and five steals. (apnews.com) Alex Caruso kept Oklahoma City alive for long stretches. NBA.com said Caruso scored 31 points and hit eight 3-pointers as the Thunder’s bench outscored San Antonio’s reserves 50-16. (nba.com) ### Why does the box score matter here? The Spurs won despite Oklahoma City shooting better from 3-point range. FOX Sports listed the Thunder at 17-for-45 from beyond the arc to San Antonio’s 13-for-43, but San Antonio made up the difference with a 61-40 rebounding edge and 27-for-29 shooting at the free-throw line. (nba.com) The final margin also reflected how long San Antonio stayed alive after letting a late lead slip. KSAT, citing the game flow, said the Spurs led by 10 with 9:10 left in regulation before Oklahoma City forced overtime, and the teams then traded leads repeatedly before San Antonio closed it in the second extra period. (nba.com) ### How unusual was a Game 1 like this? Monday’s game was rare by playoff standards. KSAT said it was the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to go to double overtime and the first since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013. (foxsports.com) NBA.com also 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 is historical context, not a forecast, but it underscores the value of San Antonio’s road win. (ksat.com) ### When is the next game? Game 2 is set for Wednesday, May 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City. NBA.com lists NBC and Peacock as the broadcast outlets, with the Spurs entering the night holding a 1-0 series lead. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (ksat.com)