Thunder title – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, but the San Antonio Spurs won and ended Oklahoma City’s run as back-to-back NBA champions. With Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out due to injuries, the Thunder’s title reign
OKLAHOMA CITY — When the season ended and the Thunder’s reign as NBA champions ended with it, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tipped his cap.
In Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. the Oklahoma City guard was the center of gravity. scoring 35 points and delivering the kind of mid-range work and paint attacks that have defined his year. He even found stepbacks over San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 wall, Victor Wembanyama. It still wasn’t enough. The Spurs were greater on this night, and there won’t be a repeat champion in the NBA this year.
Afterward, Gilgeous-Alexander was pressed about the difficulty of winning a championship — and trying to do it again. “So many things go into it,” he said. “Sometimes it’s like things you can’t control, sometimes it’s things you can control. Yeah. it’s a hard task to do one time. so to do it twice will only make it even more challenging.”.
Oklahoma City entered Game 7 with home-court advantage, earned all season and secured by two games. It finished the night with a 64–62 win in Game 7, but the series story was written earlier. The Spurs had already beaten the Thunder four out of five during the regular season. then carried that edge into the postseason by winning four more games out of seven in the West finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander said he wasn’t looking for excuses. but he pointed to what happened around the injuries that shaped Oklahoma City’s final stretch. Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were out, and Gilgeous-Alexander referenced Ajay “Dub” Mitchell’s absence during the series. “Not to make any excuses, but they’re a really good team over there,” he said. “And losing Ajay and Dub the way we did in the midst of a series. you would think it would be a lot harder for us.”.
The Thunder and Spurs both look built for the kind of years that create rivalries. Gilgeous-Alexander said San Antonio fits that picture, calling them young, talented, and well-coached. “Yeah, they’re young, they’re talented, well-coached,” he said. “Play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the makeup, for sure. You don’t beat us without the makeup and they beat us. They have the makeup to go get one.”.
Now the offseason belongs to roster questions. Oklahoma City will have decisions to make, and it has multiple first-round picks — either to add talent or, if it chooses, to combine those picks in a trade to move up and target a specific player.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, the next step is different. Canada is hoping he’ll play some World Cup qualifying this summer. The next basketball World Cup is scheduled for 2027, and he’ll be looking to sharpen his game the way elite players always do.
“We just have to take it one day at a time from here on out,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Try to get better this summer, be a better team than we were this season — and try to get back over the hump.”
NBA Western Conference finals Game 7 Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Victor Wembanyama Jalen Williams Ajay Mitchell offseason NBA MVP