Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
May 31, 2026 2:57 AM
Updated May 31, 2026 3:05 AM
Stephon Castle’s bold locker room prediction became reality as Victor Wembanyama and the surging Spurs dismantled the defending champions on their home floor to clinch the West.
Confidence has never been in short supply inside the San Antonio Spurs locker room, and following a dominant Game 6 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephon Castle made that crystal clear.
After the Spurs' convincing 118-91 win at Frost Bank Center forced a winner-take-all Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals, Castle delivered a bold message when discussing the matchup with the defending champions.
"We feel like collectively that we're better than this team," Castle told the NBC crew.
And then came Saturday night in OKC ... and the Spurs backed up the boast with a 111-103 upset win that sends San Antonio to the NBA Finals.
Castle's comments weren't made out of arrogance. Instead, they stem from what San Antonio has shown throughout the postseason. Despite facing the reigning NBA champions and the Western Conference's top seed, the Spurs have repeatedly demonstrated that they can match Oklahoma City's talent, athleticism, and defensive intensity.
Game 7 proved that.
may have been the clearest example yet.
The Spurs' defense completely disrupted Oklahoma City's offensive rhythm - Chet Holmgren was almost invisible - while their young core continued to shine on the biggest stage.
Victor Wembanyama led the way, once again proving why he has become one of the league's most dominant two-way forces. He scored a team-high 22 and hit a trio of 3's.
Meanwhile, Castle contributed big-time, as did veteran De'Aaron Fox, and seven different Spurs players scored in double figures.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting, but the rest of the Thunder starters combined for just 31 points.
What makes Castle's confidence especially noteworthy is how the Spurs have grown throughout this playoff run. Entering the postseason, many analysts viewed Oklahoma City as the clear favorite thanks to its championship experience and star power.
But San Antonio continually answered every challenge.
It's also worth noting that before they matched up with San Antonio, the Thunder had not lost a game in the playoffs. But now the defending champs have been eliminated ...
And San Antonio is about to make an NBA Finals appearance against the New York Knicks ... with the Spurs maybe thinking once again that they are the better team.
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