The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the NBA Cup final after edging past the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 on Saturday night, powered by a dominant return from Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs will now face the New York Knicks, who defeated the Orlando Magic 132-120 in the other semifinal.
Making his comeback after missing 12 games due to a strained left calf, Wembanyama delivered an immediate impact, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes. He received loud “M-V-P” chants from the pro-Spurs crowd and posted a remarkable plus-21 rating despite playing under a minutes restriction.
Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 23 points, while De’Aaron Fox and rookie Stephon Castle added 22 points each. The victory handed Oklahoma City just their second loss of the season, snapping a 16-game winning streak.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 29 points for the Thunder, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams contributing 17 apiece. Oklahoma City, now 24-2, had entered the game with the league’s second-best record and was coming off a loss in last season’s NBA Cup final as well.
The Spurs, who went 9-3 during Wembanyama’s absence, showed renewed energy upon his return. Fans erupted when the 7-foot-4 star checked in early in the second quarter, as San Antonio surged late to seal the narrow victory.
Knicks Cruise Past Magic
Earlier on Saturday, the New York Knicks booked their place in the final with an impressive 132-120 win over the Orlando Magic.
Jalen Brunson starred with a season-high 40 points, scoring 25 in the first half alone. Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points, while OG Anunoby scored 24 and Mikal Bridges chipped in 16 as New York shot an outstanding 60.7% from the field.
Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 26 points, while Paolo Banchero added 25. The Magic, playing without injured forward Franz Wagner, were eliminated from the NBA Cup after their first loss in six tournament games.
The Knicks pulled away late in the third quarter with an 8-0 run and maintained control down the stretch, extending their winning streak to five games.
Final Showdown
The NBA Cup final will be played on Tuesday night, with the Spurs chasing silverware behind a rejuvenated Wembanyama and the Knicks riding strong form led by Brunson’s red-hot scoring touch.
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