OKC Thunder's Struggles With Victor Wembanyama on Bench Prove Costly in Game 7

The Thunder couldn't take advantage of the few minutes San Antonio's star was off the floor.

May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the first quarter during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The defending champions’ season is over, and one key missed opportunity may be the reason.

On Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s title defense came to an end with a 111-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. After a hard-fought battle against another elite young squad, the Thunder were unable to overcome the challenges that plagued them throughout the matchup.

Obviously, the Thunder’s struggles against San Antonio begin and end with Victor Wembanyama. A 7-foot-4 force on the floor, Wembanyama caused major issues for Oklahoma City on both ends throughout the seven-game series.

While Mark Daigneault and the Thunder were able to scheme against him and never allowed him to have the same dominant performance he had in Game 1, his impact was often too much for the Thunder to handle. That’s why some of the most crucial minutes in the series came when Wembanyama went to the bench. 

For most of the series, Oklahoma City was able to find an advantage when Wembanyama went to the bench. Although sometimes it wasn’t enough of a difference to change the course of the game, there was still a notable difference when he was off the floor.

However, the Thunder’s season ended in part because of their inability to do so in Game 7. While Wembanyama played just shy of 42 minutes, the six minutes Luke Kornet was on the floor actually favored the Spurs. A +1 in those six minutes, Kornet didn’t score, but he grabbed four rebounds, including three offensive boards, and had a crucial chasedown block on an Isaiah Hartenstein dunk attempt in the fourth quarter as the Thunder tried to get back into the game.

Finishing with as many rebounds as Chet Holmgren in just six minutes of action, Kornet’s ability to overcome his series-long struggles was key to San Antonio’s victory. Unfortunately for the Thunder, it also showcased their inability to take advantage of their best opportunity. 

Being unable to attack the paint and get easy buckets at the rim in Kornet’s minutes ended up being a detriment to the Thunder’s hopes of advancing. Perhaps a healthy Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell would’ve made a significant difference in those minutes specifically because of their ability to get downhill, something Williams displayed in Game 1.

However, that conversation will have to wait until at least next season for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have a long and somewhat painful offseason ahead after finishing so close to another Finals trip, and the handful of minutes with Wembanyama off the floor could easily be in their minds all summer.