The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into Vegas acting like the league was already theirs, riding a 16-game heater and a 24-1 record that had people whispering “Warriors-level dominance.” Then Victor Wembanyama checked in, and the whole vibe flipped like a blown 3–1 lead. The Spurs stormed back from 16 down to steal a 111-109 win, end OKC’s historic run, and punch a ticket to the NBA Cup final.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement that the “future” everyone keeps talking about in San Antonio might already be here. Wemby missed 12 games with a calf strain, then pulled up to the semifinal, came off the bench for the first time in his career, and hijacked the script in real time.
Wemby Off the Bench = Instant Chaos
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The Spurs kept Wembanyama on a minutes cap, sitting him the entire first quarter while OKC built a comfy double-digit lead and looked fully locked in. The second he checked in to start the second, everything changed: San Antonio ripped off a 9-2 burst, the pace shifted, and you could feel the Thunder’s control slipping.
By the fourth quarter, Wemby turned the court into his personal mixtape, dropping 15 of his 22 points in the final frame and finishing with 22 points, 9 boards, 2 blocks, and a ridiculous plus-21 in just 21 minutes. Every possession felt like a glitch in the matrix—step-backs, rim protection, and those “how is that even blockable?” contests that make guards second-guess life choices.
Spurs Squad Shows Up, Not Just Wemby
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This wasn’t a solo carry; the Spurs’ supporting cast played like they were tired of being called “Wemby’s friends.” Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 23, calmly closing the game at the line and hitting big-time shots whenever OKC threatened to snatch momentum back. De’Aaron Fox and rookie Stephon Castle both dropped 22, with Fox cooking in the third to flip the lead and Castle stepping up with clutch free throws in winning time.
On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his thing with 29, but his outside shot never really showed up as he went cold from deep, while Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams chipped in 17 each. OKC still had a shot late—intentional miss, scramble, chaos—but the Spurs handled the pressure like a team that expects to be on this stage for years.
Defense, Runs, and a Momentum Heist
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The Thunder started this game looking like they might run San Antonio off the floor, but once Wemby arrived, the Spurs defense locked into playoff mode. They held OKC in check from three and turned the game into a grind, stringing together multiple runs: a 13-0 burst to close the first half, a 10-0 wave in the third, and that fourth-quarter avalanche powered by Wembanyama’s takeover.
Every time OKC tried to regain control, San Antonio responded with poise—no rushed isos, no panic shots, just calm execution, driving, kicking, and trusting their spacing and matchups. By the time the final buzzer hit, the Thunder weren’t just handed their second loss of the season; they got a preview of a problem they’ll be seeing a lot of for the next decade.
Next Stop: Knicks vs. Spurs Under the Vegas Lights
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The win sets up a spicy NBA Cup final: Spurs vs. Knicks, with New York coming in hot after lighting up the Magic behind Jalen Brunson’s 40-piece in their own semifinal. The Knicks are rolling, the Spurs just took down the league’s juggernaut, and Vegas suddenly feels like a neutral-site playoff series in December.
For the younger crowd watching this era unfold, this Cup run feels like a trailer for what the league is about to become: Wembanyama and the Spurs crashing the Thunder’s party, Brunson turning into a certified big-game guard, and a new wave of stars building rivalries in real time. If this is what the mid-season Cup is going to be, nobody’s skipping it next year.
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