The Oklahoma City Thunder’s season comes to a disappointing end, as the San Antonio Spurs dethroned the defending champions, winning Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City, 111-103.
The buildup between these two teams has been gaining traction all year long, and with San Antonio winning when it mattered most, it’s safe to say that these young Spurs have arrived.
Here are four takeaways from the Western Conference Finals.
Spurs Message Loud and Clear to the Thunder
1) Chet Holmgren Didn’t Rise to the Challenge
Matchups are the name of the game when it comes to postseason play. And it’s no secret that the San Antonio Spurs have had the most success against Chet Holmgren.
10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game for the series. Well below his season averages. Including four points and four rebounds, taking only two shots, the performance is just simply not good enough from the young star in a Game 7, at home, in the Western Conference Finals.
This was a brutal series for Holmgren; aside from Game 5 and a few timely defensive moments, he was a no-show, and the Thunder paid the price.
Yes, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, was his primary matchup. Still, Holmgren played with no force for the majority of the series, not even testing the Spurs’ big man.
This will be an off-season of reflection for him. The question moving forward will be: Will Holmgren let this failure define him, or will he use this as fuel and bounce back?
2) Cason Wallace Was Not Afraid of the Moment
This was, without a doubt, Cason Wallace’s best playoff run. As the saying goes, the third time is the charm. He was one of the lone consistent, impactful players on both ends who laid it all on the court throughout the series. Including a 17-point (14 coming in the final quarter), seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block performance while shooting 6-for-10 from the floor, and knocking down 5-of-9 from 3-point range in Game 7 to even give Oklahoma City a chance to win the series.
Despite failing to defend its title, Wallace’s development and playoff impact were a silver lining for the Thunder. Making the third-year guard extensions one of the top priorities this offseason.
3) Role Players Stepped Up
In many ways, this series was defined by the role players. A big reason why this series went the distance, despite the injury adversity, was multiple role players stepping up at different points. The depth advantage was showcased when Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 332-200 in bench points, swinging multiple games in the series.
Alex Caruso, who has been stellar all series aside from the Thunder’s blowout loss in Game 4, when he was held scoreless, looked like the Western Conference Finals MVP through the first six games if OKC had won the series.
Jared McCain’s run of swinging playoff series continued in the Western Conference Finals. Scoring 24 points in a Game 3 Road win and scoring 20 points in a Game 5 home win and becoming even more, contributing to the Thunder’s success, especially after losing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell to injuries.
Jaylin Williams played a high volume of minutes and made his impact in the Western Conference Finals. Tasked with defending Wembanyama at points, making him work every possession. Made timely shots and put up a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7, playing with high energy, doing everything he could to lead OKC to a win.
The role players did their job and swung multiple games. The stars didn’t do enough to propel the Thunder back to the NBA Finals.
4) A New Rivalry is Upon Us
With the Spurs winning when it matters most and officially getting the upper hand on OKC, there’s now volume to this rivalry.
The Thunder were the hunted after winning the championship. Facing this new challenge head-on, looking like the most dominant team once again, until they met the Spurs.
Oklahoma City went 4-8 against San Antonio on the season. The Spurs have shown the Thunder and the NBA world that the future is now and that they’re here to stay, and it’s up to OKC to respond and take back the throne in this budding rivalry.
Main Image: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
