Spurs-Thunder Game 7: Live Updates, Stats As OKC and San Antonio Fight for NBA Finals Berth

It all comes down to this.

After six fiercely competitive and physical games, the Spurs and Thunder will play Game 7 today at 8 p.m. ET to decide who goes to the NBA Finals. It’s the first Western Conference finals to go to seven games since the 2018 Warriors-Rockets series. On the line is an NBA Finals berth, where the Knicks patiently wait after finishing up the Eastern Conference finals in a swift four-game sweep.

Oklahoma City’s title defense is on the line, and the fans at the Paycom Center will be roaring all evening. With both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell ruled out well before tip, the responsibility to bring this win home rests on two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders. He faltered in Game 6 with a chance to close things out, and everyone will be watching to see if the superstar can step up with his back against the wall.

San Antonio has the momentum after a wire-to-wire victory in Game 6, a rare achievement against these Thunder. And it was all due to Victor Wembanyama, who grabbed his first legacy-building opportunity with two enormous hands and earned a trip back to OKC for Game 7 with a forceful 28-point, 10-rebound performance.

Who will play the hero? Who will stumble under the burning spotlight of Game 7? We cannot wait to find out.

Western Conference final Game 7 live scores and updates: Spurs vs. Thunder

How we got here …

Game 1: Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (OT)
Game 2: Thunder 122, Spurs 113
Game 3: Thunder 123, Spurs 108
Game 4: Spurs 103, Thunder 82
Game 5: Thunder 127, Spurs 114
Game 6: Spurs 118, Thunder 91

Game 1 of the WCF was a majestic duel between the best teams in the conference. The games since have … not been quite as enjoyable to watch. The Spurs and Thunder have largely taken turns winning big since the thrilling OT contest that kicked us off; only one other game has been decided by single digits.

But if we get a classic on Saturday night, all that will be forgotten. A great Game 7 washes away whatever bad games occurred earlier in the series. And there’s real reason to think we might get that. SGA was awful in Game 6 thanks in large part to stellar defensive execution from San Antonio, but it’s impossible to keep a two-time MVP down for long. His team desperately needs a big night, too, with how much scoring is on the shelf between the Williams and Mitchell injuries.

The only question that matters for the Spurs: if Wemby has enough in the tank to get them across the finish line. Fatigue appears to be playing a role in the young superstar’s first playoff run; every dominant night this series has been followed by a tired effort that results in a San Antonio loss. But he proved up to the challenge with his back against the wall in Game 6 and Wembanyama will undoubtedly be giving everything he’s got left in his first-ever Game 7.

It could be great theater. Hopefully, it will be. The best two words in sports, right?

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