Wembanyama drops 41 as Spurs take Game 1 from Thunder in double-overtime epic

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Wembanyama[/a] scored 41 points and pulled down 24 rebounds, forcing the second overtime with a dazzling three-pointer and delivering nine of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]Spurs[/a]' 14 points in the second overtime as San Antonio handed the defending champion Thunder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=xGVOXkNh"]their first defeat of these playoffs[/a].[/p][p][b]"It was, like, sheer willpower," [/b]22-year-old Wembanyama told broadcaster NBC.[/p][p]The French star played 49 minutes, producing a pair of dunks and a crucial block late in the second overtime to seal the victory.[/p][p]With the triumph at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a]'s Paycom Center, the Spurs stole homecourt advantage in the best-of-seven series that will send the winner to the NBA Finals.[/p][image alt="Wembanyama shone for the Spurs again" id="67e2584f-e038-4f4e-ae1e-f51526ee308b" credit-line="Flashscore / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images" guid="a0303f93-c975-41db-b416-cd164538e720" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Wembanyama admitted the sight of Thunder star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] receiving his second straight Most Valuable Player trophy before the game made the clash more personal "for sure."[/p][p]He earned Defensive Player of the Year honours but finished third in the MVP voting announced on Sunday.[/p][p]Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the sight of Gilgeous-Alexander lifting the MVP award "100%" motivated his star.[/p][p]"He's competitive," Johnson said. [b]"If you're a competitor and you see another competitor get rewarded with what you want..."[/b][/p][p]But 'Wemby' said the main message of the night was that the young Spurs [b]"are ready to go in any environment, in any place, against anybody.[/b][/p][p][b]"And even though we've still got a lot to learn, our effort should be over anybody else's and tonight we were relentless."[/b][/p][embed guid="bdaab665-b4d0-4a7b-be14-2825d70d6d52" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2056594812418060404" social-type="twitter" /][p]Rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harper-dylan/E95BW6Df/"]Dylan Harper[/a], starting in place of injured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-de-aaron/Ysw8Hl5J/"]De'Aaron Fox[/a], scored 24 points and snagged seven steals for San Antonio. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castle-stephon/Kzd3IGeT/"]Stephon Castle[/a] added 17 points and 11 assists as the Spurs extended their season dominance of the Thunder.[/p][p]Oklahoma City, trying to become the first team to repeat as champions since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, piled up a league-best 64 regular-season wins but dropped four of five contests against the Spurs, who won 62 regular-season games to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.[/p][p][b]Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to 24 points, shaking off a sluggish start to key the Thunder's bid to rally from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caruso-alex/j3T3c42g/"]Alex Caruso[/a] scored 31 points to lead the Thunder, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-jalen/4G5tbqUi/"]Jalen Williams[/a] returned from a six-game injury absence to score 26.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="789ff9c8-129e-4d6b-9fdd-21208fde8b3e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1f36f30b-f487-4f1c-8ef5-7b1241f57596" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Oklahoma City trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder clawed back, and it was knotted at 99-99 with 33.2 seconds left when Wembanyama spun in for a basket that put San Antonio up 101-99.[/p][p]Gilgeous-Alexander then tied it up with a layup, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] blocked Wembanyama's potential game-winner at the buzzer.[/p][h2]'Roll with the punches'[/h2][p]Gilgeous-Alexander's dunk put the Thunder up 108-105 with 57.6 seconds left in the first overtime.[/p][p]But Wembanyama drilled a transition three-pointer to tie it, and they went to the second extra session.[/p][p][b]"I know what my teammates are capable of, what we're capable of as a team when we bring it," [/b]Gilgeous-Alexander said.[/p][p][b]"It's just unfortunate I wasn't able to bring my best game tonight.[/b][/p][p][b]"But that's how it goes sometimes ... you've got to roll with the punches, don't get discouraged and stay true to who you are."[/b][/p][image alt="Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's match stats" id="35e199e8-d14e-4bc3-b184-44df0d1e9a05" credit-line="Flashscore / Alonzo Adams-Imagn" guid="3474e899-4e64-42fc-9836-dfbdf4eab24d" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The Thunder, who swept the Phoenix Suns and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a]'s Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds, will try to bounce back when they host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=UNmWVTi5"]Game 2 on Wednesday[/a] before the series shifts to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday.[/p][p]The winner of the series will face either the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] or the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland Cavaliers[/a] in the NBA Finals.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/summary/stats/?mid=xGVOXkNh"]Catch up on all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]