The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the 2026 NBA Finals with a 111-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on Saturday. The Thunder were aiming to become the first team since the Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back NBA championships (2017, 2018), but have fallen short in that quest.
The Spurs led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter here and were threatening to put this game beyond reach early. The Thunder responded strongly, though, and even took the lead in the second quarter, showing the heart of a champion.
The Spurs would go up double digits again in the third quarter, only for the Thunder to slice their lead down to three points entering the fourth. An all-time Game 7 appeared to be on the cards, but the visitors were crucially able to create separation in the final period.
The Thunder would keep battling right to the end, but it just wasn’t enough. Here is a look at how their players fared on the night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A+
Game Stats: 35 PTS, 4 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 12-21 FG, 2-5 3PT, 9-11 FT, 43 MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has come under fire for his flopping and shooting struggles in this series, but he deserves nothing but respect for this Game 7 performance. Gilgeous-Alexander was carrying the Thunder on offense for much of this night.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 points in the second quarter to drag the Thunder back into this game and then had another 12 in the third to keep them in it. Unfortunately, carrying such a load meant the Canadian didn’t have much gas left in the tank in the fourth, scoring just four points in the period.
Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as a playmaker, too, nearly getting to double-digits for assists while keeping those turnovers down. He did not deserve to be on the losing side.
Cason Wallace: B+
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 6-10 FG, 5-9 3PT, 36 MIN
With Gilgeous-Alexander running on fumes, the Thunder desperately needed someone else to step up in that fourth quarter. That someone would be Cason Wallace. Wallace had 14 of his 17 points in the fourth. He went 4-5 from beyond the arc in the period and was hitting one big shot after another.
Wallace also got a huge steal in the final minute with the Thunder down 109-103. They could have made it a one-possession game there, but weren’t able to capitalize.
Jaylin Williams: B
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 5-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 26 MIN
Jaylin Williams chose the best possible time to record the first double-double of his playoff career, but still found himself on the losing side. Williams made some big shots on this night and hauled in three offensive rebounds. He was the Thunder’s best big man in Game 7, and while he deserves a pat on the back for that, it’s also an indictment of the two starters.
Jared McCain: B
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 5-12 FG, 2-7 3PT, 23 MIN
The Thunder were struggling offensively at the start of this game, and it was Jared McCain who stepped up and got them going. McCain had eight points in the first quarter, but didn’t do much after that. Still, that early jolt is enough for him to get a solid grade here.
Alex Caruso: B-
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 3-14 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-6 FT, 39 MIN
Alex Caruso had been ever so impressive offensively in these playoffs coming into this game. Caruso had shot 54.9% from the field and 55.9% from three over the first six games of this series against the Spurs, but the shots wouldn’t fall in Game 7.
Caruso also appeared to hurt his wrist on a dunk attempt, but carried on. While this certainly wasn’t his finest outing, he left it all out there.
Isaiah Hartenstein: C+
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 2 TOV, 3-7 FG, 1-1 FT, 21 MIN
Isaiah Hartenstein played hard, but didn’t have much to show for it. Hartenstein has had some big rebounding games in this series (15 in Game 5), but wasn’t all too impressive on the glass here. He was physical with Victor Wembanyama yet again and played his part in the Frenchman not having a dominant outing, but this performance was nothing to write home about.
Lu Dort: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 16 MIN
Anonymous might be the word to describe Lu Dort in Game 7. Dort wasn’t much of a factor offensively and wasn’t exactly slowing down anyone on the Spurs either. We might have seen the last of him in a Thunder jersey.
Kenrich Williams: C
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1 REB, 1-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 4 MIN
Kenrich Williams got a little bit of game time here, but didn’t do much of note. Williams was, though, the one who ended up taking the three-pointer after that Wallace steal we mentioned earlier, and missed.
Chet Holmgren: D
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TOV, 1-2 FG, 2-4 FT, 33 MIN
To say this was a dud from Chet Holmgren might be an understatement. With Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out with injuries, the Thunder needed Holmgren to step up. He did not. Those two blocks might have been his only highlights of the night.
Holmgren gave the Thunder nothing offensively. For him to attempt just two field goals in a do-or-die game is unacceptable. Holmgren didn’t do much on the glass either, and this was a night to forget.
Wembanyama completely outclassed Holmgren in this series, and if there was any talk of a rivalry some weeks ago, it’s all gone now. The former is headed to the NBA Finals to take on the New York Knicks, while the latter will spend the offseason licking his wounds.
