Wembanyama was getting people talking before he even played his first Conference Finals game. After his playoff run against Portland and Minnesota, people had a lot of expectations. He somehow exceeded every single one of them.
The first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder went to double overtime and Wembanyama was in the middle of everything.
The San Antonio Spurs left the Paycom Center with a 122-115 victory, and the performance Wembanyama delivered will be remembered in the history books.
Victor Wembanyama’s Historic 40-20 Night in WCF Game 1
GettyVictor Wembanyama Sends NBA World Into Frenzy With Historic 41-Point Explosion
The NBA shared the stat line on X after the game: 41 points, 24 rebounds, three blocks in 49 minutes. Wembanyama joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever post 40-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a Conference Finals debut. He also joined David Robinson as the only Spurs player in franchise history to hit those numbers in a postseason game.
▪️ Joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record 40+ PTS and 20+ REB in their Conference Finals debut
▪️ Joins David Robinson as the only players in Spurs franchise history to record 40+ PTS and 20+ REB in a postseason game
He took command right from the first tip-off. When the second quarter closed, he’d already scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while the Thunder, the top-seeded team, had no solutions for him.
Oklahoma City properly stayed away from challenging him in the paint, so their offensive selections only became barely acceptable.
The Spurs blew a 10-point lead late in regulation, and Holmgren blocked Wembanyama’s last shot to send the game to overtime. In the final minutes of double OT, Wembanyama threw down a tomahawk dunk, hit two free throws, and then posterized Chet Holmgren on a post entry to put it away.
Spurs Overcome De’Aaron Fox Absence to Take 1-0 Series Lead
GettySan Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama
De’Aaron Fox was confirmed out with an ankle sprain right before the game began, but the Spurs still managed to pull off the win. Dylan Harper was the major contributor as he scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, handed out six assists, and made a franchise playoff record seven steals. Stephon Castle scored 17 points and collected 11 boards.
For the Thunder, Alex Caruso was the top scorer who came off the bench with 31 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24, and Jalen Williams tossed in 26. However, that still wasn’t enough as the Spurs dominated the paint even though they committed 23 turnovers.
After the game, Wembanyama addressed the Fox situation in his postgame interview. “Everybody had to step up,” he said. “Everybody answered the call. We had to cover up for our guy Fox who will be hopefully available next game. We’re just built like this.”
His head coach believed Wembanyama came in with something to prove, motivated after Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA MVP award this season. With Fox expected to return for Game 2, the Spurs head into Oklahoma City again with a 1-0 series lead and a whole different dimension waiting to be unlocked.
NBA Makes Major Victor Wembanyama Announcement Just After Spurs Beat Thunder Game 1