Spurs Move To NBA Finals Betting Favorite After 'Frightening' Thunder Injury

In a frightening scene, OKC's Jalen Williams left the floor at Paycom Center on a stretcher with 1:14 to play Sunday night. By Monday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had the San Antonio Spurs as its favorite to win the 2027 NBA Finals.

San Antonio is +300 there, with the Oklahoma City Thunder at +340. The Philadelphia 76ers come in third at +950.

The New York Knicks, who beat the Spurs in the Finals in June, are +1000, and the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors follow at +1200 and +1500.

Williams was fouled on a drive late in Oklahoma City’s 108-101 win over the LA Clippers and hurt his lower left leg. Play was held up for about five minutes. He had 8 points and 5 assists on 3-of-8 shooting at that point.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the team would be briefed on Williams’ condition Monday morning. No diagnosis came Sunday night.

DraftKings kept Oklahoma City on top after the injury, at +225 to San Antonio’s +320, Sports Illustrated reported.

Before opening night, that book had the two teams even at +270, according to CBS Sports. It also listed the Thunder at +140 to win the West and the Spurs at +150.

San Antonio was a lottery team in each of Victor Wembanyama’s first two seasons. Last season it went 62-20 and reached the Finals for the first time since 2014.

“We got higher expectations for sure for the regular season, but it’s easy to say a goal for the whole season,” Wembanyama said the day before the opener. “What’s more interesting is shorter-term goals, because even last year I said the sixth seed back in September or October. But after 50 games, if we were in that top two or top three, obviously the goal is not [the sixth seed].”

“So goals are bound to change over time,” Wembanyama continued. “We’re bound to reach them and exceed them.”

The opener went to Oklahoma City, 116-104, on Oct. 20 at Frost Bank Center.

Wembanyama shot 1-of-13 from the field, and 10 of his 12 points came at the free-throw line. He pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked 6 shots.

“I need to go back to playing the basketball I like,” Wembanyama explained after that game. “I don’t like it. This is not the sport I like right here, so I got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. For me, it’s as simple as that. I’m good when I have fun.”

“At some points, yeah, I missed lots of shots, which I usually don’t miss, but after that, I didn’t go back to these shots,” Wembanyama added. “I wasn’t decisive.”

The Houston Rockets won 114-110 in San Antonio three nights later.

The Spurs got on the board Saturday in Dallas. Dylan Harper scored 22 in the 122-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Wembanyama had 23 points and 4 blocks, and De’Aaron Fox handed out 9 assists.

That leaves San Antonio at 1-2.

Oklahoma City has not lost. Its 3-0 start includes the win in San Antonio and a 96-84 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

San Antonio won Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center, 111-103, on May 30, and Wembanyama was named MVP of the series.

Williams had come back for Game 1 and aggravated his left hamstring in Game 2. New York then closed out the Finals in five games on June 13 at Frost Bank Center.

Williams played 33 regular-season games last season.

Recovery from right wrist surgery cost him the first 19, and a right hamstring strain on Jan. 17 against the Miami Heat kept him out for 10 straight.

In 2024-25, he averaged 21.6 points and made the All-Star team and the All-NBA third team. The Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games for the title that June.

Oklahoma City hosts the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. CT Monday, the second night of a back-to-back.

The Spurs host the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday, then play the Utah Jazz on the road Wednesday.