Wembanyama, Spurs stun OKC Thunder to make NBA Cup final

Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio advancement to the NBA Cup title crippled aft beating the defending NBA champions.

Victor Wembanyama delivered 15 of his 22 points successful the 4th fourth successful his instrumentality from a calf injury, and the San Antonio Spurs earned a spot successful the NBA Cup last with a 111-109 upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder connected Saturday nighttime successful Las Vegas.

Devin Vassell scored 23 points, and De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 22 apiece arsenic San Antonio handed the Thunder conscionable their 2nd nonaccomplishment successful 26 games this season.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Real Madrid’s travel to Alaves the latest crunch crippled for beleaguered coach
• list 2 of 3Salah assists Ekitike’s 2nd arsenic Liverpool bushed Brighton successful EPL
• list 3 of 3Messi’s circuit of India begins with fans throwing bottles, stadium vandalised

The Spurs volition play the New York Knicks successful Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final. The Knicks bushed the Orlando Magic 132-120 earlier connected Saturday successful the different semifinal.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points for the Thunder, who had their franchise-record 16-game winning streak halted. Oklahoma City had not mislaid since November 5 astatine Portland.

Wembanyama returned aft a 12-game lack and was constricted to 20 minutes. He collected 9 rebounds, and San Antonio outscored the Thunder by 21 erstwhile Wembanyama was connected the floor.

Jalen Williams had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, and Chet Holmgren added 17 points for Oklahoma City. Alex Caruso had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals disconnected the bench, and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.

The Thunder pulled wrong 106-105 connected a dunk by Gilgeous-Alexander with 14.9 seconds left.

Castle made 2 escaped throws with 9.8 seconds remaining to springiness San Antonio a three-point lead. After the Thunder again pulled wrong one, Vassell made 2 escaped throws with 3.3 seconds near to springiness the Spurs a 111-108 lead.

Williams was fouled and made the archetypal escaped propulsion with 1.5 seconds left. He missed the 2nd connected purpose, but Caruso’s travel sailed down the basket.

The Spurs made 41.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 13 of 42 from down the arc, portion winning for the 18th clip successful 25 games this season.

Oklahoma City changeable 41.3 percent from the tract and was conscionable 9 of 37 from 3-point range.

Wembanyama, right, returned from a 12-game lack to pb the Spurs to triumph against the defending NBA champion Thunder [Kirby Lee/Imagn Images via Reuters]

Spurs rally

The Spurs took their archetypal pb astatine 57-56 connected a handbasket by Fox with 8:45 near successful the 3rd quarter.

That was portion of a 10-0 tally that ended with Vassell’s three-pointer to enactment San Antonio up six with 7:58 remaining.

Fox made 2 escaped throws with 0.1 seconds to spell arsenic San Antonio took a 78-77 pb into the last quarter.

The Spurs were up 5 successful the 4th fourth earlier the Thunder utilized an 11-3 propulsion to instrumentality a 93-90 borderline connected Caruso’s handbasket with 6:47 remaining.

At the outset, Oklahoma City jumped retired to a 14-4 pb and ended up with a 31-20 vantage aft the opening period.

Wembanyama entered for the archetypal clip astatine the commencement of the 2nd quarter, and the Spurs instantly went connected a 9-2 run.

Later successful the quarter, the Thunder went connected a 14-2 burst and took a 47-31 pb connected Caruso’s handbasket with 3:53 near successful the archetypal half.

San Antonio finished the fractional with 11 consecutive points to way 49-46 astatine the break.