OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — Victor Wembanyama had 41 points and 24 rebounds, Dylan Harper finished with 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a double-overtime classic to open the Western Conference finals Monday night. Wembanyama sealed it with a pair of dunks in the final minute, one of them leading to a three-point play as the Spurs stole home-court advantage. Stephon Castle added 17 points, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 13 and Julian Champagnie had 11 for San Antonio, which played without De’Aaron Fox. Alex Caruso scored 31 points for the Thunder, Jalen Williams added 26 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 12 assists. The game featured six lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime before Wembanyama dominated the second extra period. Attendance at Paycom Center was 18,203. San Antonio improved to 71-24; Oklahoma City fell to 72-19. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — Victor Wembanyama had 41 points and 24 rebounds, Dylan Harper finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff-record seven steals, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a double-overtime classic to open the Western Conference finals Monday night at Paycom Center. Wembanyama sealed the victory with a pair of dunks in the final minute of the second overtime, one of them a three-point play that gave the Spurs a 117-114 lead with 1:01 left. He then blocked Jalen Williams’ shot with 17.9 seconds remaining and grabbed the rebound, allowing Harper to add two free throws. San Antonio stole home-court advantage and beat the Thunder for the fifth time in six meetings this season. The Spurs, who were without guard De’Aaron Fox because of ankle stiffness, played most of the game with a seven-man rotation. Stephon Castle added 17 points, six rebounds and 11 assists despite committing nine turnovers. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 13, and Julian Champagnie had 11 points and nine rebounds. San Antonio shot 47.4 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. Alex Caruso led Oklahoma City with 31 points, hitting nine of 14 from the field including seven three-pointers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points, three rebounds and 12 assists but shot only 8 of 22. Jalen Williams added 26 points and seven rebounds, while Chet Holmgren scored eight points with eight rebounds. The Thunder shot 43.9 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from deep and 82.1 percent from the line. The game featured 13 lead changes and seven ties. Oklahoma City raced to a 27-26 lead after the first quarter, but San Antonio dominated the second period, outscoring the Thunder 24-17 to take a 50-44 halftime edge. The Spurs extended the lead to 73-70 after three quarters, then the two teams traded baskets in a frantic fourth. With the score tied at 99 in the final seconds of regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a layup with 3.1 seconds left to put Oklahoma City ahead 101-99. But Wembanyama answered with a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to force the first overtime. In the first extra period, Caruso connected on a three-pointer to give the Thunder a 104-101 lead with 2:21 left. Williams followed with a dunk to make it 106-101. Wembanyama then hit a running 27-foot jumper with 27 seconds left to cut the deficit to 108-106, and after a missed Williams three-pointer, Harper grabbed the rebound and called timeout. But San Antonio could not get a shot off, sending the game to a second overtime. The second extra period belonged to Wembanyama. After Cason Wallace hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 111 with 2:24 left, Harper answered with a layup and a free throw. Wembanyama then threw down a dunk and a free throw to make it 117-114. After Williams hit a three-pointer to cut it to 117-114, Wembanyama dunked again, drew a foul and made the free throw for a 120-114 lead. He finished with 14 points in the second overtime alone. Harper’s seven steals broke the previous Spurs playoff record of six, set by Kawhi Leonard in 2014. The rookie guard also had 11 rebounds. Wembanyama’s 24 rebounds were a career playoff high. The Spurs improved to 71-24, while the Thunder fell to 72-19. San Antonio’s victory avenged a 119-98 loss in Oklahoma City on Jan. 13, one of only two wins for the Thunder in the season series. The Spurs had beaten the Thunder 116-106 in San Antonio on Feb. 4 and 130-110 on Dec. 23, and had won 117-102 on Christmas Day. Oklahoma City had not lost at home since March 29, a span of 11 consecutive victories at Paycom Center. The announced attendance was 18,203. The most critical sequence came in the final two minutes of the second overtime. After Williams’ three-pointer pulled the Thunder within 117-114 with 1:21 remaining, San Antonio called a timeout. Wembanyama took a pass from Castle and exploded to the rim for a one-handed dunk, drawing a foul on Holmgren. He completed the three-point play to make it 120-114 with 1:01 left. On the ensuing possession, Gilgeous-Alexander drove and dished to Williams, but Wembanyama met him at the rim and swatted the shot away. Harper grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws with 14.5 seconds left to seal the game. Wembanyama, who had struggled with foul trouble in the fourth quarter and first overtime, finished 12 of 23 from the floor and 14 of 16 from the line. He played 49 minutes. Caruso’s 31 points were a career high for a playoff game. He made seven three-pointers, matching his season high. Gilgeous-Alexander played 51 minutes but could not find his rhythm, missing 14 of 22 attempts. The game went under the total of 237 points. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Oklahoma City 121, San Antonio 104, and its Elo system gave the Thunder a 66.5 percent probability to win. Oklahoma City was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -6. The over/under line was 217.5.

(Interstat) — AP Sports Preview The Western Conference’s top two teams clash Monday when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CDT. San Antonio (70-24) enters the matchup after a 139-109 victory Friday at Minnesota. Oklahoma City (72-18) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110 on Monday in its most recent outing. The contest marks the beginning of a critical stretch between the conference’s elite. The Thunder hold the NBA’s best record by two games, while the Spurs have won five of their last six. Players to Watch San Antonio guard Stephon Castle has been productive during the Spurs’ postseason push. In Friday’s win over the Timberwolves, Castle posted 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 20.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists. The rookie has recorded at least 13 points in each of his last 11 appearances. Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder’s offense. He scored 35 points with eight assists in Monday’s victory over the Lakers. Gilgeous-Alexander has reached at least 18 points in each of his last seven games, with four performances of 30 points or more during that span. Series History The teams split their four meetings this season. San Antonio won the most recent matchup 116-106 on Feb. 4. The Thunder took the previous contest 119-98 on Jan. 13. The Spurs have won three of the last five head-to-head games, though Oklahoma City is 2-1 at home in the series. Last Outings San Antonio’s balanced attack Friday featured Castle, De’Aaron Fox (21 points, nine assists) and Victor Wembanyama (19 points, six rebounds). The Spurs shot 52% from the field and forced 16 Minnesota turnovers. Oklahoma City’s win over the Lakers was fueled by Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell (28 points, four assists) and Chet Holmgren (16 points, nine rebounds). The Thunder shot 48% and held Los Angeles to 43% shooting. What’s at Stake With both teams already securing playoff positions, Monday’s game carries implications for top seed positioning in the Western Conference. A Thunder victory would give Oklahoma City a three-game edge over San Antonio with limited games remaining. A Spurs win would tighten the race ahead of their rematch Wednesday at Paycom Center.