San Antonio Spurs win double overtime

Victor Wembanyama gave San Antonio a road win that changed the shape of the Western Conference finals before the series had fully settled in. The Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime on Monday, May 18, at Paycom Center, taking Game 1 behind 41 points and 24 rebounds from Wembanyama. The result gave San Antonio a 1-0 lead over the top-seeded defending champions and turned a series opener into one of the longest, most demanding games of this postseason. Dylan Harper added 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals in his first playoff start. ### How big was Wembanyama’s night? Wembanyama played 48 minutes, 42 seconds and produced one of the biggest lines of this postseason in his conference finals debut. NBA.com said he became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to post at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals debut, and he finished with three blocks as well. The 22-year-old did more than score. AP reported that Wembanyama’s 24 rebounds included nine on the offensive glass, helping San Antonio generate extra possessions in a game that needed 58 minutes to decide. Those second chances mattered against an Oklahoma City team that had home court and fresher legs late. ### Why did Dylan Harper matter so much? Harper entered the opener in a larger role after De’Aaron Fox was ruled out with ankle soreness before tipoff, according to reports from game coverage after the final. The rookie responded with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals, giving San Antonio a second ballhandler and a disruptive perimeter defender next to Wembanyama. NBA.com called Harper’s performance an unexpected lift in a series opener played under heavy pressure. AP said the seven steals were a Spurs playoff record, a number that underscored how often San Antonio turned Oklahoma City mistakes into extra offense. ### What did Oklahoma City get from its stars? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and handed out 12 assists for the Thunder, but AP said he shot 7 for 23 from the field. Jalen Williams, back from a six-game absence caused by a hamstring strain, scored 26 points, and Alex Caruso added 31, giving Oklahoma City enough offense to force two overtimes but not enough to close the game. Mark Daigneault said after the loss that Oklahoma City had “got to solve a few problems and be better in Game 2,” according to NBA.com. His comment followed a game in which the Thunder scored only seven points in the second overtime while San Antonio pulled away. ### How did the Spurs describe the finish? Mitch Johnson called the game “a war of wills,” according to NBA.com and AP, after San Antonio survived a fourth quarter and one overtime without breaking. The coach said the closing stretch became a test of mental toughness for both teams rather than a clean tactical game. Johnson also singled out Wembanyama’s approach to the moment. “That young man, he has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him,” Johnson said, according to NBA.com, describing a player who kept attacking deep into the extra periods. ### How unusual was a Game 1 like this? AP said this was the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to go to double overtime and the first such opener since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013. The score was tied after regulation and again after the first overtime before San Antonio won the second extra period 14-7. The box score showed how narrow the margins were for much of the night. Fox Sports listed the Spurs with a 61-40 rebounding edge and 15 offensive boards, while Oklahoma City made more 3-pointers but could not match San Antonio’s work inside and at the foul line. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Oklahoma City, with NBC and Peacock carrying the broadcast, according to NBA.com. San Antonio enters that game up 1-0, and Oklahoma City will try to avoid going to Texas down two games in the series.