It’s not every day in the NBA that there is a Game 7 in a playoff series, and when there is, players cherish it. The thing is, the Thunder didn’t.

As a result, the Oklahoma City Thunder, last year’s NBA champs, lost in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, 111-103. 

The Thunder struggled because top performers like Chet Holmgren did not step up in the big moments when needed. Holmgren averaged 17 points per game on around 11 shots per game in the regular season, so ending with four points off two shots in Game 7 was unfortunate.

On the other hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an outstanding night, with 35 points and nine assists. The thing that separates him from other players – for better or worse – is his tendency to flop when he shoots or drives in. He gets called for a foul almost every time, and it starts to get annoying. But it is also very smart and leads to free throws and easy points.

Going into this Game 7, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama knew he needed this win more than anything, to shut up haters, to show he belongs, and to prove that he is a winner.

Wembanyama played very well, getting 22 points and seven rebounds. Those are not crazy or unbelievable stats, but they did the job in helping the Spurs take the win. 

The Spurs also played well as a team, shooting 42% from three, which is amazing for a team. They knew they needed to shoot more in this game, and they did.

One thing the Thunder did better than San Antonio was getting offensive and defensive rebounds, despite the Spurs having the seven foot, four inch Wembanyama and seven foot, one inch Luke Kornet. 

The Thunder probably thought they would’ve had another smooth ride to the finals, but that wasn’t the case. 

As a result, the San Antonio Spurs will take on the New York Knicks at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.