OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will play “the biggest game of my career” against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. After a grueling Western Conference finals, it’s time for the decisive Game 7. However, the last matchup of this series is historical in another sense as well.
Saturday’s contest will only be the second time in NBA history that the reigning MVP and the reigning DPOY will clash in Game 7. While Wemby has averaged 28.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 blocks per game in the series, SGA has contributed 24.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks.
The NBA’s official X account shared the update and wrote in the post:
“Saturday will mark just the second time in NBA history that the season’s @Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) will face the season’s Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year (Victor Wembanyama) in a Game 7.”
The first instance also occurred recently in 2024, when Nikola Jokic, the league MVP, and the Denver Nuggets clashed with Rudy Gobert, the DPOY that season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 7 of the WC semifinals. The DPOY and his Wolves reigned in the game, 98-90, on May 19, 2024.
Given how the Thunder-Spurs series has turned out till now, it’s difficult to speculate on the winner. However, the difference in numbers of the two superstars shows the kind of help SGA and the Thunder have received from their squad depth, compared to the Spurs.
Can the reigning DPOY repeat history against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder?
The Thunder have faced some stiff competition from the Spurs, but the defending champions have not looked out of place in the series. The team has also won back-to-back games in the series to take the lead after Game 3. Moreover, the Oklahoma bench has been fantastic thus far.
The Thunder’s bench (295 points) is outscoring the Spurs’ (173) by a large margin in the series. Alex Causo is averaging 15.3 points off the bench with 1.5 steals, impacting games on both ends of the floor. This means SGA has not had to do a lot of work to rack up those wins.
On the other hand, the young Spurs’ core has shown what they are capable of on big stages, even though experience is not their strong suit. Dylan Harper has been stellar, along with Stephon Castle’s offensive outbursts. Devin Vasell has also made some crucial buckets in clutch moments.
While the Thunder have skills and talent on their side, the Spurs are a young, dedicated, hard-working lot who are desperate to make their mark on NBA history. Fans will be hooked to their televisions for a high-intensity closeout contest in the West as Game 7 tips off on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
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