San Antonio Spurs win in Oklahoma City

The San Antonio Spurs opened the Western Conference finals with a 122-115 double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Paycom Center. Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the Spurs took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Dylan Harper added 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals for San Antonio, according to the NBA’s game recap. (nba.com) Oklahoma City, which had won nine straight playoff games dating to last season’s Finals, lost home-court advantage in the opener. ### How big was Wembanyama’s night? Victor Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds, then closed the game with two dunks in the final minute of the second overtime. One of those baskets turned into a three-point play as San Antonio finally separated after a game that had stayed tight deep into extra time. At 22 years, 134 days old, Wembanyama became the youngest player to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game, the NBA recap said. “A great effort - from everybody,” Wembanyama said after the game. (nba.com) ### Who else swung the game for San Antonio? Dylan Harper gave the Spurs a second major line with 24 points and seven steals, a team playoff record. Stephon Castle scored 17 points, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson had 13 apiece and Julian Champagnie added 11. (nba.com) De’Aaron Fox did not play because of ankle stiffness, leaving San Antonio without its second-leading scorer. The Spurs still won for the fifth time in six meetings with Oklahoma City this season, according to the NBA recap. (nba.com) ### What happened to the Thunder late? 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 six-game absence caused by a hamstring strain to score 26. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points and 12 assists on the night he received his second straight Most Valuable Player trophy. He shot 7 for 23 from the field, the NBA recap said. Oklahoma City’s playoff winning streak ended at nine games. (nba.com) The opener also became the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to reach double overtime, and the first since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013. ### Why does this opener matter in the series? Game 1 gave San Antonio an immediate road win and flipped home-court advantage in the series. The Spurs entered Oklahoma City as the lower-seeded team and left with a 1-0 edge after 58 minutes of basketball. (nba.com) The result also put early pressure on the Thunder to respond before the series shifts to San Antonio. Oklahoma City still hosts the next game, but the Spurs now control the series lead. (nba.com) ### When do they play next? Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com’s series page. The listed television platforms are Peacock and NBC. Game 3 is set for Friday, May 22, in San Antonio. (nba.com)