After last night’s game, only one word can describe a performance in a game of that magnitude: wow. The San Antonio Spurs went into Oklahoma City, a dungeon where no team has won in these playoffs, and left victorious. Being down there, starting point guard De’Aaron Fox, this turned into the Victor Wembanyama game. That might have been the best basketball game since game seven of the 2016 NBA finals, certainly over the last decade. Let’s dive back to last night’s master class. 
Spurs’ Shock Thunder in Game 1
A few hours before tip-off of game one, it was announced that the Spurs would be shorthanded without Fox. Process, this is a big moment for their young core. Fox and Harrison Barnes are the two veteran players on the roster. San Antonio has leaned on those two pillars for guidance and experience in handling this level of success. With their star point guard missing the game, Dylan Harper was elevated into the starting role and had the game of his life.
We’ve seen many teams go into Oklahoma City and be engulfed by the physicality of the Thunder’s play and the electricity of the crowd. Last night was not the case. The Spurs jumped all over the Thunder early. I have been one who has said time and time again that youth is not always a downside. They don’t know what they don’t know. What do I mean by that?
In some instances, we see young players crumble under high pressure, falling to the ground. Where many analysts ask the questions, is the moment too big or the lights too bright? Last night proved to me that the moment will never be too big for this team: Harper coming in to replace an All-Star and playing the game of his life at 20 years old; he will be a superstar in the NBA for the Spurs.
Look at Stephon Castle. That was the least negative-impact 11-turnover game I’ve ever seen. For a player who shot 5-for-14 from the floor, including 1-for-6 from three, and had 11 turnovers, it seemed as if you had minimal TOs for the entire game. However, he was sensational on the defensive end and orchestrating the offense.
Spurs’ Wembanyama Plants Flag as BITW
Before we move on to discuss OKC and Victor Wembanyama, let the entire NBA basketball world know: this league is mine. If you are looking to get any hardware or any more championships, that time is over. He’s going to be trophy-holding in ways that no one ever has or ever will hold. Last night, he had one of the best performances anyone has ever had, especially a 22-year-old.
He finished the game with 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three blocks. I was in awe. When you are watching an all-time great player, take the throne, there’s a moment. Whether it be an individual accomplishment, a team win, or a performance like that, one of his nicknames is the alien, and the performance was out of this world. From multiple clutch shots to dominating defensive possessions, his biggest moment was in the first overtime for the Spurs.
With 28 seconds left, Wemby rose from 28 feet and hit the game-tying three with 26 seconds left. That shot what the moment the crown is his was. It was shockingly similar to when Steph Curry hit almost the same shot from the same spot on the floor to beat the Thunder on the road in 2016.
If he misses the shot, they likely lose a game in which they had a comfortable 7 to 10 point lead throughout, and it’s a moment where they will look back and think, dang, we had it, and we let the rope go. Sometimes, there are just no words for how dominant a player can be on both ends.
Thunder Coming Up Short
Last night was a terrible look for Oklahoma City and their MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander. In a night in which you were anointed your second consecutive MVP award, you put together a horrendous performance in the first half. He scored only 4 points on 1-for-5 shooting. That is not coming out and imposing your will on a team that has had your number throughout the regular season, or making a statement.
If it weren’t for Alex Caruso scoring 16 in the first half and making four of his seven threes, the game would’ve gotten out of hand early. He did start to turn it up and finish regulation with 22 points, but he still shot a criminally inefficient 5-for-14 from the floor in the second half.
With a minute to go, he had a great chance at taking the lead on a fast break, being guarded one-on-one by Castle, who is a great defender, but still a play the MVP should make. He was also named clutch player of the year, but he wasn’t clutch enough last night; he shot 7-for-23 and scored only 24 points, and was a team-low -15 on the court in Game 1 vs the Spurs. This team will go, in this series, as SGA takes them.
Let’s move to Chet Holmgren. Eight points? That’s it? When he played against France and Wembanyama in the 2021 FIFA Under-19 World Cup final, that seemed to be the first chapter in this bad blood, if you even wanna call it a rivalry. Wemby played like he hates and despises Holmgren. Meanwhile, Chet plays like he’s scared of the Spurs’ superstar. It is unfathomable that you don’t take this matchup personally and say, “Coach Daigneault, I’ve got the Wembanyama matchup.” You at least have to instill that you’re not afraid of your opponent, no matter the sport.
That was just a terrible performance by someone who was assigned a five-year rookie max extension worth $239 million. I understand that Alex Caruso is a sensational defensive player and did a great job on Nikola Jokić in the playoffs last season. Still, you’re giving up a foot of height in that matchup, and 22 of Wembanyama’s 25 field goal attempts were in the paint. What does that mean?
The Spurs are dominating the paint in ways I didn’t think the Thunder could be dominated. There’s no way a 6-foot-5 guard should be guarding Wemby when you have a 7-foot-1 player with the same frame as their superstar. Can’t happen. I didn’t even mention his stats: played almost 41 minutes and finished with eight points and 2-for-7 shooting. He just looked lackadaisical on offense.
He’s a nice player. Still, he wants no part of this matchup, and you want players in the moment that want to take the matchup, and if they get dominated, they get dominated, and it is what it is, but you can’t play scared. As Katt Williams once said, “A Chrysler 300 looks like a phantom, until a phantom pulls up.” The Spurs have a phantom, while the Thunder have a Chrysler 300.
Takeaways From Last Night
I’m not over exaggerating when I say that was one of the best games I’ve ever seen. I cannot name five off the top of my head that had everything that game encapsulated. From an individual-dominant performance that reminded me of LeBron James’ 48-point explosion in Detroit in 2007, when he told the basketball world he was next, Wemby did the same thing for the Spurs.
With a detrimental loss last night, how will the Thunder respond in Game 2? When you lose in that fashion on your home court, it’s a mental defeat as much as it is on the scoreboard. OKC hadn’t lost a postseason game until last night; now doubt begins to creep into their minds. They’ve lost five of their six matchups. Sports are as much a mental game as a physical one, and the Spurs have the mental edge.
Wembanyama was asked after the game if watching SGA get the MVP award made that night’s performance personal, and his answer was simple, sweet, and to the point: “Yeah.” He has an old-school player’s mentality that the NBA has missed. From the competitive nature to the fire and intensity he brings in these high-leverage games, it’s almost a breath of fresh air. That was a statement victory for the Spurs. That proved to me that anything the Thunder can do, San Antonio can do better.
Final Thoughts
I had a feeling this was going to be the series of the playoffs, and that was a sensational way to start it. From the coaches drawing up some of the best ATOs I’ve ever seen to a superstar’s performance, I cannot wait for the game on Wednesday night. What were some of your takeaways from the Spurs’ win last night? Is game two a must-win for the Thunder?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts on Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Thunder! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! Thank you for making us part of your day, and look forward to seeing you again soon.
