Victor Wembanyama’s defensive dominance collides with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s legacy moment as a shorthanded Thunder squad fights to survive San Antonio’s stifling pressure in this winner-take-all showdown.
Game 7, the best two words in sports. The Thunder and Spurs tipoff one more time to decide who advances to the NBA Finals. It has been a back-and-forth series riddled with hard fouls and defensive masterclasses.
Can Oklahoma City get over the finish line despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell? Check out key matchups for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Which MVP Candidate Delivers?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters this contest with series averages of 24.3 points, 8.8 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game on 37.9% shooting from the field. Those numbers are well below par, although his struggles are understandable.
Stephon Castle is an elite, physical defender, and the Spurs are either tilting their defense towards Gilgeous-Alexander or flat-out doubling him. Even when he breaks through the first line of defense, Victor Wembanyama’s eight-foot wingspan looms. It also doesn’t help that Williams and Mitchell have missed time, which deprived the Thunder of their second and third-best creators.
Gilgeous-Alexander is carrying an enormous offensive burden against an excellent defense anchored by the most impactful interior defender in NBA history. However, he needs to step up and be the best player on the court in Game 7. It’s a legacy-defining game.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama has been inconsistent offensively throughout the series, but the highs are extraordinary. The superstar must impose his will inside the paint and attack the rim rather than settling for deep jump shots. If he has a great game on both sides of the court, then San Antonio is well positioned to reach the NBA Finals.
Alex Caruso’s Impact
During a group interview with Jaylin Williams and Cason Wallace right before the season started, Alex Caruso said the following to his teammates when they teased him about playing without intensity in offseason scrimmages – “Do you want me in September or do you want me in June.”
Although Game 7 against San Antonio technically occurs in May, it is Caruso’s time to shine. The veteran has been a wrecking ball throughout the series, as he’s averaged 15.3 points, two rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 stocks per game on 54/55/81 shooting splits. Oklahoma City owns a +11 net rating with him on the court this series.
Look for Mark Daigneault to unleash Caruso by giving him as many minutes as he can handle.
Thunder’s Three-Point Shooting
San Antonio dominated Game 4 and Game 6 because Oklahoma City shot 18.2% and 25% from beyond the arc. The Spurs are too good to beat with such abysmal shooting performances, so the Thunder have to be decent at a minimum on triples. Otherwise, the offense likely will not score enough. Caruso, Jared McCain, Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams are names to monitor. They must deliver as spot-up shooters.
