OKLAHOMA CITY — For one of the most-anticipated series in recent memory, Game 1 lived up to the hype and exceeded far beyond expectations.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals inside Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center.
The Spurs dictated most of the game with the Thunder making a push to force overtime. The Spurs, though, survived with clutch plays from superstar Victor Wembanyama.
Wemby is an anomaly
Simply put, Victor Wembanyama is the ultimate cheat code.
He can score at-will. He influences opponents to avoid attacking the paint. He can defend any player and block any shot. Oh, he can also shoot the 3-ball — which he did in the clutchest of moments in Monday’s big win.
Wembanyama drilled a 28-foot 3-pointer down three points with 27 seconds left in the first overtime to pull the Spurs back to a tie and ultimately force double OT. He pulled up in-transition with no defender near him willing to defend a low-percentage shot.
When Wembanyama is making shots like those while also absolutely dominating the paint, getting anything he wants at the rim, it’s almost impossible to beat the Spurs.
On top of his 41-point and 24-rebound performance, Wembanyama had help from his young guards.
Rookie Dylan Harper got 24 points with 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals while second-year guard Stephon Castle scored 17 points with 11 assists.
The Spurs made most of their 3s in the first half, but had a few clutch shots from Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell.
With big performances from other players, it still came down to Wembanyama, who outperformed the NBA’s MVP and Clutch Player of the Year in the final minutes of Game 1.
The Carushow in full force
The Thunder were struggling to get going in many points of the game, especially to start. It took OKC more than three minutes to get a basket, but that basket started a career night for fan favorite and playoff riser Alex Caruso.
Caruso scored a team-high 31 points with eight 3-pointers with two steals and two blocks.
His offensive performance was certainly a spectacle to watch. The Spurs continued to leave him open, wanting him to shoot, and he drained eight of his 14 attempts.
Though, his most impactful part of Monday’s performance was his defense. He seemed to be the only consistent option in guarding Wembanyama. Caruso didn’t shut down Wembanyama, but he was effective in defending Wembanyama, who is 11 inches taller than Caruso.
Caruso is known as one of the best defenders in the league. It’s because he can guard all five positions, even if it’s the league’s most dominant player in Wembanyama.
Caruso positioned himself well enough to limit the effectiveness of Wembanyama, which is certainly something OKC will continue to do moving toward Game 2.
Spurs’ defensive scheme proved biggest difference
The Thunder were struggling all game with how the Spurs set up their defense, which limited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s production and forced the Thunder into bad turnovers.
The Spurs put Wembanyama mainly on OKC’s spot-up shooter — Lu Dort, Alex Caruso or Cason Wallace — which allowed him to camp out near the paint, acting as a goalie.
That forced the Thunder to operate outside the paint, which is unlike the regular game plan.
SGA gets to the paint more than any player in the league. With the Spurs’ game plan, he took what the defense gave him, which was to be an open shooter in the corner or operate in the mid-range.
The Spurs also doubled SGA for a majority of the game, laying off him toward the end, which forced other players to make plays.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 24 points, 12 assists and four turnovers, had struggles finding a rhythm all game and ultimately couldn’t get a made basket in the final five minutes of the game.
He shot one shot in double OT, missing a 3-pointer with three minutes left. He didn’t attempt a shot after that, which is something that shouldn’t happen — especially for the NBA’s MVP and Clutch Player of the Year.