Spurs top Thunder 122-115 double OT

San Antonio opened the Western Conference finals by taking home-court advantage from Oklahoma City and then delivered a television number the NBA had not seen before in a West finals opener. The Spurs beat the Thunder 122-115 in double overtime on Monday, May 18, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, according to NBA game records. NBC Sports and the NBA said the game averaged 9.2 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, the largest audience for a Western Conference finals Game 1 on record. ### How unusual was the game itself? Victor Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds for San Antonio in a Game 1 that went through four quarters, one overtime and then a second. NBA.com’s game summary listed the Spurs as 122-115 winners after San Antonio outscored Oklahoma City 14-7 in the second overtime. (nba.com) Alex Caruso scored 31 points for Oklahoma City, and Jalen Williams added 26, according to the game leaders listed by NBA.com and Fox Sports. The box score also showed San Antonio guard Stephon Castle with 17 points and 11 assists as the Spurs moved ahead 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. ### Why did the TV number stand out? (nba.com) NBC Sports said Thursday that Monday night’s game averaged a total audience delivery of 9.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. The company said that made it the most-watched Western Conference finals Game 1 ever and that viewership peaked at 12 million during the second overtime. (nba.com) Sports Business Journal reported the audience was up 71% from the comparable game last year, while NBA.com repeated the 9.2 million figure in its own account of the opener’s reach. The game aired in the first season of the NBA’s return to NBC. (nbcsports.com) ### What did the result change in the series? Monday’s win gave San Antonio a 1-0 lead and stripped Oklahoma City of the edge that came with opening the series at home. Sporting News described the result as the Spurs taking home-court advantage early in the matchup. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) The NBA’s series page showed the teams split the first two games in Oklahoma City after the Thunder won Game 2, 122-113. That left the Western Conference finals tied 1-1 heading into the move to Texas. ### Where does the schedule go from here? Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, May 22, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern in San Antonio, according to the NBA’s series page. (sportingnews.com) Game 4 is set for Sunday, May 24, also in San Antonio, before a potential return to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 26. The full conference finals schedule on NBA.com lists Game 6, if necessary, for Thursday, May 28, and Game 7, if necessary, for Saturday, May 30. (nba.com) NBC and Peacock are listed as the television outlets for Game 3.