Spurs top Thunder in Game 7, clinch first NBA Finals berth since 2014
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Oklahoma City — The San Antonio Spurs are headed back to the NBA Finals after defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-103, in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night.
Rookie center Victor Wembanyama paced San Antonio with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Julian Champagnie added 20 points in a poised road performance. The Spurs led virtually wire to wire, stretching a 12-point cushion with fewer than four minutes remaining before Oklahoma City trimmed the margin to six in the final minute.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept the Thunder close with 35 points and nine assists. Cason Wallace scored 17, including 14 in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City never fully erased the deficit.
The victory sends San Antonio to the league’s championship round for the first time since winning its fifth title in 2014. The Thunder’s loss ends their quest for back-to-back crowns and guarantees the NBA will celebrate a different champion for the eighth consecutive season.
The Spurs will face the New York Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals to reach their first Finals since 1999. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Source: Hoops Wire
