Talent, depth, and star power will be on full display as the San Antonio Spurs take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Four of the 14 Thunder’s losses came at the hands of the Spurs.
The Spurs’ level of success against the Thunder adds another layer of intrigue to an already heavyweight matchup between these two young Western Conference powers in the Western Conference Finals.
Now, there are caveats. The Thunder didn’t have its full roster in any of the five regular-season matchups.
The Thunder are the first defending champions to advance past the second round since the Golden State Warriors in 2019 and are trying to become the first team to repeat since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Oklahoma City is trying to forge itself into a potential dynasty, and San Antonio is trying to dethrone the Thunder and start the process of building its own dynasty.
This series is filled with the back-to-back MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the runner-up and future MVP in Victor Wembanyama. All-NBA level performers in Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and De’Aaron Fox. Rising talents in Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Ajay Mitchell. All-Defensive level performers in Wembanyama (Defensive Player of the Year), Holmgren (Runner-up), Castle, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort. The Sixth Man of the Year in Keldon Johnson. And two young rising coaches are in. Mark Daigneault (One-time NBA Champion and Coach of the Year) and Mitch Johnson (2025-26 Coach of the Year Finalist).
Western Conference Finals Preview
Series Schedule
Here are the series dates, times, and where to watch the Thunder-Spurs series:
All times Central Standard Time
- Game 1: San Antonio at Oklahoma City | Monday, May 18 (7:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 2: San Antonio at Oklahoma City | Wednesday, May 20 (7:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 3: Oklahoma City at San Antonio | Friday, May 22 (7:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 4: Oklahoma City at San Antonio | Sunday, May 24 (7 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 5: San Antonio at Oklahoma City | Tuesday, May 26* (7:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 6: Oklahoma City at San Antonio | Thursday, May 28* (7:30 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
- Game 7: San Antonio at Oklahoma City | Saturday, May 30* (7 PM CT, NBC/Peacock)
* = If necessary
Regular Season Matchups
- Dec. 13: Spurs 111, Thunder 109 (NBA Cup Semifinals)
- Dec. 23: Spurs 130, Thunder 110
- Dec. 25: Spurs 117, Thunder 102
- Jan. 13: Thunder 119, Spurs 98
- Feb. 4: Spurs 116, Thunder 106
San Antonio had the second-best defensive rating (109.2) in the five matchups against Oklahoma City, including only a 99.6 defensive rating during the minutes Wembanyama was on the floor.
Top Storyline for Oklahoma City
Thunder’s depth. OKC’s depth has been a resounding positive in the playoffs, overwhelming the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds. Outscoring opposing benches by 122 points.
The Thunder starters have a +11.3 net rating, and the reserves have a +7.8 net rating.
This is with Jalen Williams, who has been missing the last six games with a hamstring strain. The Thunder have eleven players averaging 6+ points and 10+ minutes in the playoffs.
With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, averaging 29.1 points and 7.1 assists per game, Mitchell being the breakout star, averaging 18.8 points, 4.9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, and Holmgren stepping up, averaging 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Perimeter shooting has been much better this postseason, as nine players are shooting better than 36% from three — Jared McCain, Williams, Wallace, Holmgren, Caruso, Joe, Dort, Jaylin Williams, and Mitchell. Hartenstein dominated in the margins coming into this series.
That depth has allowed coach Daigneault to play 10 players without a drop-off. The togetherness and egolessness with which this group plays basketball exemplify this roster.
Players to Watch
Victor Wembanyama: His rapid growth has quickly ascended San Antonio as a title contender. But, with this being his first playoffs. How does the 7-foot-5 22-year-old perform in his first-ever Conference Finals with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line?
He is an absolute game-breaker. In his first 10 playoff games, Wembanyama is averaging 20.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, and 2.4 assists and is shooting 53.8% from the floor, 34.1% from three, and 84.5% from the free throw line.
The on/off numbers also tell the story of Wembanyama’s impact. The Spurs have an offensive rating of 118.3 and a defensive rating of 96.4 when Wembanyama is on the floor, and an offensive rating of 112.2 and a defensive rating of 105.1 when he is off the floor — big difference.
Looking at it from another angle besides how Wembanyama performs: how the Thunder decides to defend him to limit his offensive impact, and how they decide to attack him to reduce his effectiveness as a rim protector. Oklahoma City has the speed to get under with Jalen Williams and the size with Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, so watching how Oklahoma City tries to figure that riddle will be intriguing.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: He now the back-to-back MVP. So of course, he’s one to watch. He was fantastic in the first round against the Suns — averaged 33.8 points and 8.0 assists on 55.1% shooting from the floor. The Lakers’ primary game plan revolved around forcing the ball out and limiting the effectiveness of SGAs, who averaged 24.5 points and 6.3 assists on 47.1% shooting from the floor, forcing others to beat them in the second round.
The question is: how will the Spurs defend SGA? They are better equipped, have much better perimeter defenders, have the best rim protector in the NBA, and are much deeper, giving them a variety of ways to use against him.
As SGA said, he has seen every coverage deployed against him. Will the Spurs be able to disrupt his rhythm enough to be the difference in the series?
Area to Watch
For Oklahoma City: Possession Battle. In their eight postseason games, the Thunder are +47 in turnovers and +93 in points off turnovers, +23 on the glass, and +50 in shot attempts — leading to the No. 1 offense (126.3 offensive rating and 121.3 points per game) in the playoffs.
For San Antonio: Defensive Force. In their eleven postseason games, the Spurs have held teams to (46.2%) from inside the arc and are holding opponents to 40.5% overall from the floor — leading to the No. 1 defensive (102.2 defensive rating and 8.2 blocks per game) in the playoffs.
Tramaine’s Pick?
Thunder in seven. The Spurs have ascended more quickly than anyone expected and present a new and difficult challenge for the Thunder. This may very well be the beginning of a budding rivalry as the Spurs are coming in full force to dethrone the Thunder, and the Thunder are looking to protect their crown. And this is where Oklahoma City’s championship pedigree and home-court advantage come into effect to propel them through this series.
Main Image: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
