Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Praises Victor Wembanyama After Game 7 Matchup

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short in their pursuit of another NBA Finals appearance, losing 111-103 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night.

Oklahoma City was led by back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 35 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Victor Wembanyama and a Spurs team that had seven players score in double figures.

During the Thunder’s exit interviews on Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked what makes San Antonio’s defense so difficult to attack. He quickly pointed to Wembanyama’s presence in the paint.

"There's a guy on their back line that is a little bit different," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They funnel everything to him. It's a really good defense. But it's not impossible to score. I just think it's very different."

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Following Saturday night’s loss, Gilgeous-Alexander also praised the Spurs as a whole, highlighting everything from their young talent to their coaching staff.

"They're young, talented, well-coached, play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They have the makeup, for sure. You don't beat us without the makeup."

The Thunder aren’t going anywhere, which means Oklahoma City and the Spurs could be on the verge of developing one of the NBA’s premier rivalries in the Western Conference. If this series was any indication, it may have only been the beginning.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 3:34 PM.