Victor Wembanyama posted 28 points and 10 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 on Thursday in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, forcing a decisive Game 7.
The series is now tied 3-3, with the final game set for Saturday in Oklahoma City. The winner will face the New York Knicks in the NBA finals.
After the Thunder's 127-114 win in Game 5, where Wembanyama had 20 points and six rebounds, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called for a stronger performance from the rookie star. Wembanyama responded emphatically, hitting two three-pointers and blocking a shot within the first 90 seconds, giving San Antonio an early lead they never relinquished.
The Spurs led by 15 in the second quarter, but the Thunder cut the deficit to five before halftime, trailing 60-53. San Antonio's defense tightened in the third quarter, sparking a 20-0 run that put the game away. Oklahoma City missed 14 consecutive shots and went nearly eight minutes without scoring.
The Thunder managed just 13 points in the third quarter, their lowest in any quarter this season. With the game out of reach, coach Mark Daigneault sat stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein for the entire fourth quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting, his lowest scoring output since Game 3 of last year's Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dylan Harper added 18 points off the bench for San Antonio, while Stephon Castle contributed 17 points and nine assists with only one turnover.
San Antonio's reserves outscored Oklahoma City's bench 46-38, a key factor after the Thunder's bench had dominated earlier in the series. The Spurs also excelled from beyond the arc, hitting eight three-pointers in the first quarter alone, three from Wembanyama. The Thunder were just 1-of-6 from three-point range in the opening period.
Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams returned after missing three games with a hamstring strain, but played only 10 minutes and scored one point. He came off the bench for the first time since December 10, 2022, during his rookie season.
The series now heads to Oklahoma City for Game 7 on Saturday, with both teams vying for a spot in the NBA finals.
