3 Spurs bold predictions for Game 7 upset over Thunder to reach NBA Finals

The San Antonio Spurs have grown dramatically during the NBA playoffs this year, and after taking down the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, they have a chance to do the same with the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The two teams will meet Saturday night in Oklahoma City in the seventh game of the series, and the Spurs must play with consistency, confidence and resiliency to earn the win and move on to the NBA Finals against the streaking New York Knicks.

The Spurs played brilliantly at home in Game 6 as they blew out the Thunder by a 118-91 margin. They have given an indication that they are the better team and that should come to the surface in Game 7 — even if it is on the road.

However, it won’t be easy as the Thunder remain a brilliant team. Oklahoma City responded in Game 5 at home with a solid 127-114 triumph at the Paycom Center. San Antonio demonstrated it could win on the Thunder’s home court when it took Game 1 in double overtime by a score of 122-115. Oklahoma City took back the home court advantage when it won Game 3 on the Spurs home court.

These teams have proven to be the best in the West by a wide margin. Now the upstart Spurs, led by 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, will attempt to go into Oklahoma City and demonstrated that they are rightful challengers to the Knicks when the NBA Finals gets underway. The Thunder is not going to give up its perch willingly, and this seventh game has every chance to be a classic.

Wembanyama will have a brilliant defensive game

When the Spurs drafted Wembanyama in 2023, observers drooled over the possibilities and believed that greatness would follow. They looked at his size and skill and saw a clear path to stardom. But his skill and size would not have gotten him to the level he is at right now if he didn’t grow in stature.

Wembanyama received quite a bit of education throughout his first three seasons and he learned the lesson that opponents would attack his body and try to knock him off his spot on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Wemby learned how to fight back. He may be rail thin at 235 pounds, but he can make plays in the paint and impact opponents when they drive to the hoop.

The big man asserted himself in Game 6 with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocked shots. His all-around play allowed the Spur to pull away in the second half. His performances in Games 1 and 4 were the keys to San Antonio’s victories in both those games.

He had a performance that was similar to Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell when he had 41 points and 24 rebounds in the opener. He was also explosive in the fourth game with 33 points and 8 rebounds.

Wembanyama was not as productive in the San Antonio losses in Games 2, 3 and 5. Former Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will likely have another talk with the big center to make sure he plays with maximum effort in the decisive game.

Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will attack aggressively

A huge game by Wembanyama is not enough. The Spurs’ supporting cast must come through and show off its speed, depth and skill.

Head coach Mitch Johnson has seen the Spurs rise to the occasion throughout the playoffs, including the opening series against the Trail Blazers when Wembanyama was out of the lineup after suffering a concussion. The combination of Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper could provide the difference for the Spurs when the Thunder is doing everything in its power to slow down Wembanyama.

Castle had 17  points and 9 assists in Game 6, and the Thunder had a difficult time contending with his speed and effort level. Harper is well on his way to becoming a star in the NBA. The former Rutgers guard had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while making 6 of 9 shots from the floor in the sixth game. His confidence is infectious for the Spurs.

Spurs will outfight Thunder in the fourth quarter

San Antonio is the healthier and deeper team heading into the decisive game in the series. However, the Thunder have the Most Valuable Player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the home crowd and the knowledge that are the defending champions.

It will likely come down to how well Wembanyama  can cope with all of those factors. Johnson has seen his best player get to a new level through his desire to fight through adversity and win. Johnson knows that Wemby can contend with the most difficult circumstances and lead his team to the victory.

“He is comfortable with that, regardless of the outcome and what that may look like,” Johnson said. “I think that’s maybe his biggest growth this year is not waiting for it to be perfect, or necessarily to know what to do all the time, but to attack the moment and have the right approach and live with the results.”

That will be enough to lead the Spurs to a memorable and decisive triumph in the seventh game.

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