Game 7 between Spurs and Thunder will decide the Western Conference.
The Spurs and Thunder clash in a thrilling Game 7 as Wembane Yama and Gilgeous-Alexander battle for a spot in the NBA Finals.
It all comes down to this.
By the end of Saturday night, May 30th, either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder will represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. The two best teams of the regular season, the Thunder and Spurs, will face off on Saturday, May 30th in Game 7 of the winner-take-all conference finals.
All eyes are now on the two stars of this match. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row with the Thunder, and Victor Wembaneyama of the Spurs, a young genius who was unanimously named Defensive Player of the Year.
Awaiting either team in the NBA Finals is the New York Knicks, who defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Here are the live takeaways from Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
San Antonio went on a 16-2 run midway through the third quarter, and there was one offensive action the team repeated over and over again.
Whether it was De’Aaron Fox or Stephon Castle handling the ball, the Spurs used Wembaneyama as a screener and then asked him to roll hard to the hoop. All eyes were on Wembaneyama, forcing the Thunder’s guards to leak into the paint to help the defense, which left a wide gap for 3-point shooter Julien Champagnie, who had 11 points in the quarter.
Second chance points saved the Thunder.
If there was one thing that led to Oklahoma City’s run in the second quarter, it was Oklahoma City’s offensive effort.
On Saturday night, the Thunder held a 9-4 edge in offensive rebounds in the first half. So it was no surprise that Oklahoma City entered the break with a huge 17-6 lead in second-chance points.
Offensive rebounds help revive moribund Thunder offense
Another thing the offensive committee did against OKC was neutralize San Antonio’s transition offense. The Spurs wanted to play fast and were unable to pick up defensive rebounds, robbing the Spurs of a chance to get out during the hiatus.
So was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s monster 13-point performance in the second quarter pulled the Thunder back into the game. Admittedly, Gilgeous-Alexander was slow to start this game.
Some of the early issues were expected, as the Spurs threw extra bodies at him whenever he had the ball in an offensive position.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander was far more decisive in the second quarter, trying to reveal himself before the Spurs could get defensive.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 points on a very efficient 8-of-11 shooting in the first half, adding five assists and four rebounds.
The 19 points scored in the first half were the most in this series. He looks like an elite player who knows what’s at stake.
San Antonio’s offense started the game impressive. their defense was even better
Early in Game 7, the Spurs took control of the game, competing for the ball and using active hands to deflect passes and turnovers.
San Antonio forced the Thunder into five turnovers (five steals) in the first 6 minutes and 45 seconds of the game, and quickly took a 7-0 lead by scoring off turnovers. Of course, it helped that the Spurs didn’t commit a single turnover in that period early on, but it was the power and intensity the Spurs brought that affected the game.
In the second quarter, the Thunder had better possession of the ball and looked better. For San Antonio to win Game 7, they’ll need to find a way to keep pressure on their ball handlers and force turnovers. That’s the recipe for playing with a better tempo.
He’s been overshadowed throughout the series, but unless Chet Holmgren can do more on offense and defense, it will be difficult for Oklahoma City to win this game.
By the midway point of the third quarter, Holmgren had four points on just two shot attempts (one made). On the other hand, he recorded just two rebounds, one block, and one steal. He’s a great defender, but he hasn’t been able to protect the rim as well as he did at points during the regular season.
On attack, he is too hesitant with the ball in his hands.
