The San Antonio Spurs beat the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, completing a 4-3 series victory and earning an NBA Finals matchup with the New York Knicks.

San Antonio had trailed the series 3-2 before winning the final two games, one at home and one away. In the deciding contest, the Spurs carried an 80-77 lead into the fourth quarter and made six three-pointers in the final period. Seven San Antonio players finished in double figures, reflecting the balanced attack that carried the team past Oklahoma City.

Victor Wembanyama recorded 22 points and seven rebounds in his first playoff Game 7. Julian Champagnie scored 20 points, including six three-pointers, and Stephon Castle added 16. The Spurs led for nearly the entire game. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the regular-season Most Valuable Player, scored 35 points and supplied nine assists, but Oklahoma City could not complete its bid for consecutive championships.

Wembanyama was named the Western Conference finals MVP after averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks across the seven games. The 2.24-metre French center had also won Defensive Player of the Year by unanimous vote. Champagnie credited San Antonio’s progress to staying together, moving the ball and maintaining its course through the series.

The victory returned the Spurs to the championship round for the first time since 2014, when they beat Oklahoma City 4-2 in the West finals and defeated Miami 4-1 to claim the franchise’s fifth title. Their 2026 playoff route included a 4-1 first-round victory over Portland and a 4-2 series win against Minnesota before the seven-game test against the Thunder. San Antonio had finished the regular season 62-20, behind only Oklahoma City’s 64-18 record, while winning four of five regular-season meetings between the teams.

New York entered the Finals after its own long absence. The Knicks had not reached the championship series in 27 years and were seeking a third title after wins in 1970 and 1973. Their recent record against San Antonio offered encouragement: New York won two of the teams’ three regular-season meetings and defeated the Spurs 124-113 in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas the previous December.

The Finals were scheduled to begin June 4 in San Antonio as a best-of-seven series. It was set to be the franchises’ second championship-round meeting, following the Spurs’ 4-1 victory in 1999, when Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP. This time, San Antonio arrived behind Wembanyama’s two-way influence and a Game 7 performance in which support came from across the roster.