Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Thursday as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 in Game 6, sending the Western Conference finals to a winner-take-all Game 7. The Spurs never let Oklahoma City settle in, and the series will now be decided Saturday in Oklahoma City.
This is the game fans were searching for after Tuesday’s 127-114 loss in Game 5, when Wembanyama finished with 20 points and six rebounds and Mitch Johnson said his team needed more from its superstar. He gave it to them this time. Wembanyama made two 3-pointers and blocked a shot in the first 90 seconds, then San Antonio hit eight first-quarter 3s and built a lead that kept growing.
San Antonio led by 15 early in the second quarter, and although Oklahoma City cut the margin to five just before halftime, the Spurs still went to the break up seven. The third quarter broke the game open. San Antonio went on a 20-0 run late in the period, while the Thunder missed 14 consecutive shots and went nearly eight minutes between points. Oklahoma City scored only 13 points in the quarter, its fewest in any period this season.
That collapse also came against a San Antonio second unit that finally swung the series. Oklahoma City’s bench had controlled that matchup for much of the series, but the Spurs’ reserves outscored the Thunder’s 46-38 in Game 6. Dylan Harper added 18 points off the bench, Stephon Castle scored 17 with nine assists and one turnover, and the Thunder were left trying to recover from a night when their own rotation offered little relief.
Jalen Williams returned after missing the previous three games with a hamstring strain, but he played only 10 minutes and scored one point. It was his first time coming off the bench since 10 December 2022, another sign that Oklahoma City is still searching for full production from one of its key players at the worst possible moment. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting, and Mark Daigneault sat him, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in the fourth quarter.
Now the series turns to Saturday in Oklahoma City, where the winner will move on to face the New York Knicks in the NBA finals. San Antonio proved it can force the issue with pace, pressure and depth. The question is whether Oklahoma City can answer in one night with a healthier, sharper Williams and a better night from its stars.
