Spurs beat Thunder in double overtime

The San Antonio Spurs opened the Western Conference finals by taking home-court advantage from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, winning 122-115 in double overtime at Paycom Center. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the Spurs closed the second overtime with his late dunks after forcing an extra period on his 27-foot tying 3-pointer in the first overtime. The result gave Oklahoma City its first loss of the postseason after sweeps of Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers, and it snapped a nine-game playoff winning streak dating to Game 7 of last season’s Finals. The Thunder had entered the night with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receiving his second straight MVP trophy, but San Antonio left with a 1-0 series lead. (nba.com) ### How did San Antonio steal the opener on the road? San Antonio erased the Thunder’s edge by surviving two late-game swings and then controlling the second overtime. Wembanyama put the Spurs ahead for good with a back-to-the-basket alley-oop dunk from Stephon Castle with 22 seconds left in the second extra session, then added another dunk that became a three-point play. (nba.com) Oklahoma City had chances earlier. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied the game with 3.1 seconds left in regulation on a drive, and Chet Holmgren blocked Wembanyama’s final shot attempt of regulation to send the game to overtime. In the first overtime, Wembanyama hit a 27-foot transition 3-pointer with 26.3 seconds left to force a second extra period. (tpr.org) ### What did Wembanyama and the Spurs’ supporting cast produce? Wembanyama finished 14-for-25 from the field and 12-for-13 at the foul line, adding three blocks in 49 minutes, which NBC Sports said was the most he has played in a game. The NBA’s game recap said he became the youngest player with at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game at 22 years, 134 days. (tpr.org) Dylan Harper gave San Antonio 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals, a Spurs playoff record, according to the NBA and Associated Press reports carried by NBA.com and NBC News. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 11 assists, though he also committed 11 turnovers, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 13 and Julian Champagnie had 11. De’Aaron Fox did not play because of ankle stiffness. (tpr.org) ### What went wrong for Oklahoma City? Alex Caruso scored 31 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, the second-highest scoring game of his career, and Jalen Williams returned from a hamstring strain to score 26 points in his first game since April 22. Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 12 assists but shot 7-for-23, while Chet Holmgren finished with eight points on 2-for-7 shooting, according to NBC Sports. (nba.com) The Thunder also let a late regulation lead structure collapse. Associated Press said San Antonio led by 10 with 9:10 left in regulation before Oklahoma City rallied, only to lose control again in the overtimes. ### Why did the game spread so fast online? YouTube carried multiple highlight uploads within hours of the finish, including separate videos focused on overtime, the fourth quarter and a second-quarter segment. (nba.com) Search results show those clips were posted on May 18, shortly after the game window, alongside the NBA’s own full Game 1 highlights package. (nbcnews.com) NBA.com also posted a cluster of official clips from the game, including Wembanyama’s 41-point highlights, Jalen Williams’ 26-point game and second-overtime sequences. The volume of clips reflected how much of the game turned on late possessions rather than one decisive stretch. ### What comes next in the series? Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, at 8:30 p.m. (youtube.com) ET in Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com and NBC Sports. The series remains at Paycom Center through Game 2 before shifting to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday, May 22. (nba.com)