Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder did not disappoint—in fact, it somehow surpassed all expectations.
A back-and-forth, double-overtime battle between the best in the West was taken by San Antonio on the road thanks to an absolute masterpiece from Victor Wembanyama: 41 points and 24 rebounds on an efficient 14-for-25 shooting, including a game-tying logo three late in regulation and several monster dunks throughout the night.
It was the type of performance that felt like the passing of the torch, with Wembanyama emerging as the best player in basketball in front of the world—though he wasn’t worried about that when asked about it postgame.
“Do I feel like it right now? I feel tired. But it’s not a question I’m wondering right now. We’ll see. The world is 8 billion people, so it’s 8 billion opinions,”
The 22-year-old Wembanyama is now averaging 22.2 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 4.0 BPG through his first 11 games of the postseason. This comes after putting up 25.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 3.1 BPG across 64 regular-season games.
There is still a long way to go for Wembanyama and the Spurs to knock off the juggernaut Thunder, but Monday night was a strong start, a major statement, and a continuation of their success against them this regular season.
While you can’t expect these types of performances from Wembanyama every night, you also can’t rule them out, because there’s simply nobody else like him in the world.
He’ll look to build off it with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead on the road in Game 2 on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Next: The Legend of Jakub Dobes Continues to Grow This Postseason
