The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder began the Western Conference Finals on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Paycom Center. The series opener featured a clash between NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, with the first quarter ending in a 27-27 tie.
The Western Conference Finals arrive as a collision of two different forms of dominance. On one side is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who entered the series as the league’s best team with a 64-18 regular season record. On the other are the San Antonio Spurs, the No. 2 seed in the West, who have spent the season proving they can dismantle the very teams that the Thunder have spent the year leading.
The Clash of Individual Honors
The narrative of this series is anchored by two players who currently hold the highest individual honors in professional basketball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters Game 1 coming off his second consecutive NBA MVP award, cementing his status as the offensive engine of the Thunder. His ability to create space and finish at the rim has been the cornerstone of Oklahoma City’s league-leading record.
Opposing him is Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. The Spurs’ center has redefined the defensive geometry of the league, providing a level of rim protection and versatility that forced opponents to completely restructure their offensive sets during the regular season. The matchup between the league’s most efficient offensive guard and its most disruptive defensive force is the primary tactical battle of the series.
Divergent Paths to the Conference Finals
The two teams arrived at the Paycom Center via vastly different postseason routes. The Thunder have been the definition of efficiency, advancing to the conference finals while remaining relatively well-rested. Oklahoma City secured back-to-back sweeps, eliminating both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in four games each.
San Antonio’s journey has been more grueling. The Spurs faced a more drawn-out path to the finals, first dispatching the Portland Trail Blazers in five games during the first round. They then faced a tougher test in the conference semifinals, requiring six games to move past the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Thunder enjoyed a period of relative inactivity, the Spurs have been battle-tested in high-leverage, close-game scenarios.
Regular Season Dominance vs. Head-to-Head Edge
While the Thunder hold the superior overall record and the betting advantage—entering the series as -260 favorites to win and -170 odds to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy—the head-to-head statistics favor San Antonio. The Spurs have had Oklahoma City’s number throughout the 2025-2026 campaign.
San Antonio won four of the five matchups between the two teams during the regular season. This dominance included a critical victory in the 2026 NBA Cup, suggesting that the Spurs possess a tactical blueprint for neutralizing the Thunder’s high-powered offense. This psychological edge offsets the Thunder’s statistical superiority and explains why the series is viewed as a tighter contest than the seeds might suggest.
Game 1 Early Exchange at Paycom Center
The opening quarter of Game 1 reflected the volatility and competitiveness of the matchup. San Antonio established early control, digging Oklahoma City into an 11-2 deficit. The Spurs used their size and defensive pressure to stifle the Thunder’s initial rhythm, threatening to take a commanding lead into the second period.
Oklahoma City responded with a focused 9-0 run, erasing the lead and briefly taking a 22-19 advantage late in the first. The Thunder’s resilience was driven by balanced scoring, with Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams each contributing 10 points in the opening frame. By the time the buzzer sounded for the first quarter, the game had settled into a dead heat, with both teams tied at 27.
The early stages of the game highlighted the specific strengths of both rosters. The Spurs’ ability to jump to an early lead underscores their capacity to disrupt the Thunder, while Oklahoma City’s rapid recovery demonstrates why they finished with 64 wins. With the series now underway, the focus shifts to whether San Antonio can maintain their regular-season success against the Thunder or if Oklahoma City’s postseason momentum will prove the deciding factor.