By Oliver Carter
The most hotly anticipated NBA playoffs series in recent memory – the San Antonio Spurs vs the Oklahoma City Thunder did not disappoint in Game 1.
The Spurs travelled to the Paycom Center to face the Thunder.
San Antonio came out on top 122-115 after a double overtime back-and-forth encounter.
The future is here
With the NBA MVP being announced just over 24 hours before this game, both Victor Wembanyama, who finished third in voting, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award for the second year in a row, were put under the microscope.
This was the first time two MVP finalists went head-to-head in a NBA playoff series playing for teams with over 60 regular season wins since the 1998 NBA finals.
The stakes for this game were high, and the anticipation was higher, however, this game did not disappoint.
Wembanyama went off for 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks, becoming the youngest player to have a game with 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in NBA history, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wembanyama was backed up by Dylan Harper with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. Stephon Castle also added 17 points, six rebounds and 11 assists.
Those three members of the Spurs are in their first ever playoffs, and are all under 23-years-old.
San Antonio put out the youngest starting five in NBA Conference finals history, with an average age of 23.7.
The future San Antonio holds is frightening for everyone else in the league.
Harper, son of former Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant team-mate Ron Harper, is following in his father’s footsteps of being a supporting piece alongside one of the most unstoppable forces in NBA history.
Harper, the 20-year-old rookie, has already earned the respect of his peers, already showing he is one of the most dynamic and explosive scorers in the league.
Postgame, Harper was asked whether he was thinking about the fact he was involved in an instant classic NBA game, he simply responded, “No, I’m just trying to win.”
READ MORE ON NJN: NBA news: Wembanyama, Harper lead Spurs to 2OT win over Thunder in West Finals opener
What went wrong for OKC
The reigning champions of the league, Oklahoma City know how difficult of a match-up this is.
The Spurs won four of the five regular season meetings between the two teams, however, the Thunder have the experience of multiple playoff appearances, compared to the Spurs young core.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to get his shooting flowing, managing 24 points on just 30.4% shooting.
The Canadian however, did manage to get his team-mates going as he racked up 12 assists.
Alex Caruso gained the most from the MVP’s playmaking, as he transformed into a completely different player and began to shoot the lights out.
He scored 31 points on 8/14 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Before tonight his playoff career high was 20, a record he blew out the water.
Jalen Williams on his return from injury came out the gates looking like the best player on the floor, however he quickly slowed.
Williams ended the game with 26 points and seven rebounds, but unfortunately for him the story of his game is defined by a missed open three-pointer that would’ve won OKC the game with just 0.4 seconds remaining.
Chet Holmgren, arch nemesis of Wembanyama, also had a tough night, only scoring eight points and pulling down eight rebounds, a stat line his French adversary managed in just 12 minutes of play.
Looking towards Game 2
Game 2 of this series will be defined by the response to a poor night from the MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s superpower is pure consistency, something he was unable to deliver in Game 1.
However, if the Thunder can push the Spurs to the brink while Gilgeous-Alexander struggles, a game in which the two time MVP plays his best will surely go the other way.
Wembanyama also blew all expectations out the water, however, 41 points and 24 rebounds is a stat line he most likely won’t be able to keep up consistently.
While the Spurs are on cloud nine after an important Game 1 road win, it’s important they keep their heads down and remain focused on the task at hand.
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Ella Magyar