Wembanyama sparks Spurs past Thunder, into NBA Cup final
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LAS VEGAS — Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his first game back from a strained left calf, lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 111-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night and into Tuesday’s NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks.
The 7-foot-4 rookie, sidelined for the previous 12 games, logged 21 minutes under a restriction yet finished with a game-best plus-21 rating as San Antonio handed Oklahoma City just its second loss of the season. The Thunder, who brought a 16-game winning streak to Las Vegas, fell to 24-2 — the league’s best start since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors opened 25-1.
Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 23 points, while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 22 apiece. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced Oklahoma City with 29 points, and Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each scored 17.
The Spurs trailed by three at halftime despite trimming a double-digit deficit with a 13-0 burst to close the second quarter. A 10-0 run in the third put San Antonio in front 62-56, setting up a tight final period before the Spurs prevailed.
Saturday’s defeat was the Thunder’s second straight in Las Vegas; they lost last year’s Cup championship game to the Milwaukee Bucks, 97-81.
Source: ESPN
