There is already plenty of hype surrounding the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio was able to steal Game 1 from Oklahoma City, marking the No. 1 seed in the West’s first postseason loss in their quest for back-to-back titles.
As the series moves to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4, the Spurs have become a tough barrier to the Thunder’s pursuit. It has reached the point where the Spurs are the favorite for Game 3.
The Thunder are on the verge of entering a game as the underdog in a postseason game for the first time in two years, ESPN’s David Purdom reports.
Oklahoma City is the 1.5-point underdog against the Spurs in Game 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
It’s been 33 postseason games (entering Game 3) since the last time this happened for the Thunder, the third-most consecutive playoff games in which a team has been favored. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (36) and 1995-97 Chicago Bulls (34) are the only other teams above them since 1990-91.
Spurs are the Thunder’s Kryptonite
Throughout the 2025-26 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been blowing past the rest of the league. This has resulted in their league-best, 64-18 record in the regular season.
The Thunder have transitioned this momentum into the postseason, winning eight straight playoff games in the first and second rounds. However, the Spurs ended that streak in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, beating the Thunder in a double overtime thriller, 122-115.
San Antonio was the Thunder’s only consistent issue during the regular season as well. In the five matchups between the two teams, the Spurs won four.
Wembanyama Continues His Postseason Dominance
A large part of the Spurs’ success against the Thunder is with superstar Victor Wembanyama. The 2026 Defensive Player of the Year’s presence on the court has never been seen in the NBA.
During the five regular-season matchups, Wembanyama averaged 18.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks, per StatMuse. The numbers seem depleted because the Spurs limited him to 25.1 minutes per game over that span. According to ESPN’s advanced stats, he averages 34.3 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per 40 minutes played this season.
Wembanyama proved his dominance for the Spurs in the Game 1 win over the Thunder. In 49 minutes, the 7-foot-4 superstar finished with 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. This included a deep three that tied the game with 26.3 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
His presence was somewhat limited despite still having an impressive statline in the Spurs’ Game 2 loss. Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks.
Injuries Play a Role in Western Conference Finals
Although it’s still a battle between the top teams of the Western Conference, the Thunder-Spurs matchup has been hit with key injuries to players from both teams.
Oklahoma City has been without Jalen Williams after the forward re-aggravated a previous hamstring injury in Game 2. ESPN’s Shams Charania labeled the Thunder star as day-by-day.
On the flip side, San Antonio is dealing with injuries to both of their top point guards. De’Aaron Fox is yet to make his Western Conference Finals debut while still rehabbing a right high ankle sprain. The guard suffered the setback in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs’ other point guard, breakout rookie Dylan Harper, suffered an adductor injury in San Antonio’s Game 2 loss to the Thunder. He initially looked like he would return to Wednesday’s contest, but was then sent back to the locker room and ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Both De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are listed as game-time decisions for the Spurs in Game 3.
Thunder Faced With Significant Factor Ahead of Game 3 vs. Spurs