The Spurs are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, after defeating the reigning NBA champion Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, 111-103, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
It was an even contest for the final three quarters, but the margin of victory was nearly set by an explosive first quarter for the Spurs, outscoring the Thunder 32-25. From then on, San Antonio was one point better. With the teams statistically even in several categories, the big difference came beyond the arc, where the Spurs hit 43 percent of their attempts — 34 for the Thunder — making five more threes overall.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 35 points, but the guard got no help from the OKC front-court, with forwards and centers posting just 27 total points in the game. Victor Wembanyama led all Spurs scorers with 22 points, one of seven Spurs to hit double-digit points, including all five starters.
The Spurs now will have home-court advantage in the Finals, hosting the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET. This is a rematch of the 1999 Finals, won by the Spurs in five games and was the last time the Knicks played for an NBA championship.
My take: This series went seven games, but it wasn't a great series. There was no real drama Saturday night because the Spurs basically led the whole game and the Thunder couldn't make a run. Here's hoping the Knicks can bring whatever juju they have from their 11-game winning streak and make this an entertaining final — the Spurs are heavily favored.
THE ASYLUM
Spurs on to NBA Finals
The Spurs are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, after defeating the reigning NBA champion Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, 111-103, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
It was an even contest for the final three quarters, but the margin of victory was nearly set by an explosive first quarter for the Spurs, outscoring the Thunder 32-25. From then on, San Antonio was one point better. With the teams statistically even in several categories, the big difference came beyond the arc, where the Spurs hit 43 percent of their attempts — 34 for the Thunder — making five more threes overall.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 35 points, but the guard got no help from the OKC front-court, with forwards and centers posting just 27 total points in the game. Victor Wembanyama led all Spurs scorers with 22 points, one of seven Spurs to hit double-digit points, including all five starters.
The Spurs now will have home-court advantage in the Finals, hosting the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET. This is a rematch of the 1999 Finals, won by the Spurs in five games and was the last time the Knicks played for an NBA championship.
My take: This series went seven games, but it wasn't a great series. There was no real drama Saturday night because the Spurs basically led the whole game and the Thunder couldn't make a run. Here's hoping the Knicks can bring whatever juju they have from their 11-game winning streak and make this an entertaining final — the Spurs are heavily favored.
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