San Antonio Spurs advance to NBA Finals, ousting reigning champion Thunder

BREAKING NEWSMay. 31, 2026, 2:53 AM UTCNBANBASan Antonio Spurs advance to NBA Finals, ousting reigning champion ThunderVictor Wembanyama had a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds in the win for San Antonio, which will now face the New York Knicks in an NBA Finals rematch from 27 years ago.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Victor Wembanyama, No. 1 of the San Antonio Spurs, dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Saturday.Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Andrew GreifFor the eighth consecutive year, the NBA will have a new champion.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The longest streak of seasons with a different champion in NBA history extended Saturday when the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder were ousted in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals by San Antonio, 111-103.Victor Wembanyama had a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds in the win for San Antonio, which will now face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. It’s a rematch from 27 years ago, when these teams met in the ‘99 Finals won by San Antonio and its twin-tower duo of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, both former No. 1 overall draft picks.This time around, the Spurs are led by another enormously talented big man in 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, the sensational former No. 1 pick who has led his team to the Finals in his third NBA season, and only his first postseason appearance. Saturday’s Game 7 was only Wembanyama’s 18th career postseason game. In seemingly a blink, the Wembanyana-led Spurs have already dethroned a Thunder team that looked primed to dominate the Western Conference for years thanks to its championship mettle and an exceptionally deep reserve of talent and draft picks. In Game 7, Oklahoma City was down two of its best offensive creators in the injured Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitch...