The Western Conference Finals are going the distance. The San Antonio Spurs kept their season alive on Thursday night, crushing the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 in Game 6 to force a deciding Game 7. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks received a significant injury blow ahead of the NBA Finals. Center Mitchell Robinson has suffered a broken right pinkie finger, and there is currently no timetable for his return. Together, those 2 developments have set up one of the most compelling weeks in recent NBA postseason history.
Wembanyama delivers when it matters most
Victor Wembanyama was the story of Game 6. After a difficult Game 5 in which he went scoreless for the first eight minutes and skipped his postgame media session the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year showed up to the arena in a Shaolin robe and immediately got to work. He finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds in just 28 minutes. Moreover, he scored 11 of those points in the first quarter alone and had already surpassed his Game 5 total of 20 points by halftime.
With Wembanyama back in control, San Antonio put together a 20-0 run in the third quarter that blew the game open completely. The Spurs led wire to wire and won by 27. Oklahoma City never had a chance to find a foothold once the avalanche started.
Gilgeous-Alexander continues to struggle
While Wembanyama was dominant, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another rough night. The back-to-back MVP shot just 6-of-18 from the field and finished with only 15 points. Furthermore, Oklahoma City was minus-28 in his 28 minutes on the floor. That number alone tells the story of how the game went.
The slump is now a legitimate concern for Oklahoma City heading into Game 7. During the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander shot a career-best 60.2% on 2-point attempts. In this series, however, he is hitting just 40.9% of those shots. In addition, he has shot 40% or worse from the field in five of the six games. He has also failed to reach 20 points twice in the last three games a remarkable dip for a player who topped 20 points in 140 consecutive regular season games.
The X factors heading into Game 7
2 players stand out as pivotal figures for Game 7 on both sides. For San Antonio, veteran guard De’Aaron Fox is the key. He missed the first 2 games of the series with an ankle injury and has not looked fully healthy at any point since returning. However, the Spurs will need him to step up on the road in a hostile environment. Fox has played in just one previous Game 7, scoring 16 points on 5-of-19 shooting in a 2023 first-round loss with the Sacramento Kings.
For Oklahoma City, Jalen Williams is the wildcard. He made a surprise return from a hamstring strain in Game 6 but managed only 1 point in 10 minutes. The Thunder were outscored by 18 during his brief time on the floor. Still, his ability to create offense when the Spurs shade their defense toward Gilgeous-Alexander could be critical in a tight Game 7 setting.
What the numbers say about Game 7
The series has followed a remarkably clean pattern. The Thunder are 3-0 when Gilgeous-Alexander outscores Wembanyama. The Spurs are 3-0 when Wembanyama outscores Gilgeous-Alexander. As a result, the star matchup between those 2 players is likely to decide the series once and for all on Saturday night.
Oklahoma City holds a significant home court advantage. The Thunder went 11-2 at home during last year’s championship run and are 6-1 at home so far in the 2026 playoffs. Their only home loss this postseason came in double overtime against the Spurs themselves in Game 1. For San Antonio, winning on that floor would be a historic achievement. For Oklahoma City, losing there would be genuinely difficult to explain.
Game 7 tips off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The winner faces the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals beginning Wednesday.
Knicks deal with Robinson injury ahead of Finals
The Knicks secured their spot in the NBA Finals by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the celebration quickly gave way to concern. Robinson, who played 18 minutes in Game 4 of that series and posted 8 points and 10 rebounds, has now been diagnosed with a broken right pinkie finger. No timetable for his return has been set.
Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game during the regular season and served primarily as a backup big man and insurance policy if Karl-Anthony Towns ran into foul trouble. In the playoffs, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 14.2 minutes per game. His absence would leave New York with less depth in the frontcourt at precisely the wrong moment. The Knicks will now need to adjust their rotation plans ahead of Wednesday’s opener.
Source: ESPN
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