'Highly Competitive': Thunder Know How Dangerous Spurs Are in Western Conference Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY — In the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs head to Oklahoma City to face a Thunder squad that's as healthy as it's been all season.

Monday night's matchup marks the sixth time both squads face off against one another after the NBA Cup's knockout stages produced an unprecedented fifth meeting before the end of the regular season. The upstart Spurs won four over the team that won the title last year behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who the NBA announced on Sunday has won his second-consecutive MVP award.

It's an award that Spurs' superstar Victor Wembanyama openly coveted for himself, an award he finished third in the voting for at 22 years old, an award he'll likely be favored to win next season.

In the meantime, he will likely have to watch as SGA claims that crown in front of a raucous crowd at the Paycom Center. Wembanyama has been known to seek out bulletin-board material and this series has plenty, not that he needs any additional motivation. This is the Western Conference Finals, after all.

"Just the words, 'Conference Finals,' it's crazy," Wembanyama said. "Something I heard my whole life, and now being in it is just special. It's hopefully many more Conference Finals to come."

Wembanyama has aspirations beyond MVP, beyond the Conference Finals. He and the Spurs want to go through the defending champs and win the title. It would be nearly unprecedented for them to accomplish that task with very little playoff experience, but Wemby is so unique and the team is so solid around him that anything can happen. In San Antonio, there's strong belief that they can get it done.

"If we don't know that it's impossible, we will do it," a determined Wembanyama said.

That attitude and confidence is well-earned after a year of doing stuff that people doubted they'd be able to, including huge wins against the Thunder in the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, then in San Antonio, then in OKC on Christmas Day 48 hours later. That two-week stretch changed the narrative from the Thunder chasing the 2016 Warriors to the Spurs chasing (and somewhat getting the best of) the 2026 Thunder.

"I'm super excited," said Thunder big man Jaylin Williams. "They're a competitive team. Every time they see us, they want to compete at a high level, so it's super fun. It's super fun to be able to compete against a really good team, and I'm looking forward to it."

The other Jalen Williams, the second-best player for OKC behind the MVP, has been banged up all season and missed the last six playoff games with a left hamstring strain, but is good to go for Game 1.

On the Spurs' side of the injury report, De'Aaron Fox is once again listed as questionable with a sore right ankle that he initially tweaked in Game 4 in Minnesota and then again in Game 6. He only played 24 minutes in the clincher on the road, and his coach Mitch Johnson said the All-Star point guard could have gone back in if not for the blowout nature of the game.

"He's one of the toughest guys in league," Johnson said of Fox. "He doesn't miss any games. He's one of the guys he doesn't talk about it much, doesn't show much, and he had moments in this game that we needed just to settle us."

Fox leads San Antonio in minutes per game this playoffs, and of the seven Spurs who have played the most he is the only one who had any playoff experience coming into the season: the Beam Team's first-round series against the Warriors.

One Spur who does have a recent title run under his belt is big man Luke Kornet who won a ring with the Celtics. Kornet started multiple games against the Thunder this year when Wembanyama was working his way back from a calf strain, and he's listed as questionable for this one with a sore left foot.

The Spurs got even better after beating Oklahoma City four times in the early part of the season. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Julian Champagnie is thriving since being promoted to starter, and rookie Carter Bryant proved to be an important part in San Antonio's semifinal series win.

San Antonio closed the season with a stretch of 30 wins and four losses, forcing the Thunder to keep their feet firmly on the gas through the finish line of the regular season to retain control of the one seed.

This is a team with a one-of-one MVP candidate, the most balanced and deadly guard trio in the league, and a collection of contributors playing on a string under the guidance of legends.

"Obviously, a really good team," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They've been right behind us all year, so we obviously don't take them lightly in the slightest. They're a really good team."

WHO:

#2 San Antonio Spurs (8-3)
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder (8-0)

WHEN:

Monday, May 18 (Tipoff 7:30 p.m. Central)

WHERE:

Paycom, Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

HOW TO WATCH:

NBC and Peacock

INJURY REPORT:

SAS:

De'Aaron Fox (sore right ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Luke Kornet (sore left foot) - QUESTIONABLE

OKC:

Thomas Sorber (ACL) - OUT

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