The Gravel Beneath You And The Limbs Above

On the same night as the cocaine-parachute-helicopter experience that is overtime playoff hockey, a Game 7 no less, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder began their long-anticipated Western Conference Finals series in tantamount fashion. On the same night, even, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was celebrating his second consecutive NBA MVP, Victor Wembanyama showed why his bronze finish this year might be the lowest he turns in for the next decade, give or take.

Despite Chet Holmgren’s stunning block at the end of regulation on Victor, the latter had much of the final rire. Wemby finished with 41 points, 23 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and a game-high +16 in San Antonio’s 122-115 win in double-OT. Previously undefeated in the playoffs, the Thunder have run into a familiar pain, with no ideal salve in immediate sight.

Because San Antonio has outdone the Thunder on multiple occasions this season, and because Wemby has open disdain for Chet and OKC’s broader antics, there is reason to believe they can do this. Dylan Harper had 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven (!) steals in a fabulous second banana effort. Though Stephon Castle only went 1-6 from three and had the dubious triple-double of 17 points, 11 assists and – ahem – 11 turnovers, he nailed some heavy free throws and was disruptive enough on defense, a good sign for San Antonio going forward.

Alex Caruso had 31 points, and a freshly-mended Jalen Williams contributed 26 in what should be one of the brighter takeaways for Mark Daigneault in a loss, but then: apart from Shai’s 24, no one else, including Chet (8), scored in double-digits. For a team as famously well-rounded as this year’s Thunder have appeared to be, it was strange not to have a member of OKC’s bench mob strike, as they so often have: Cason Wallace; Ajay Mitchell; Jaylin Williams; trade deadline acquisition darling Jared McCain, perhaps most famously. Against at least some broader economic trends, the A2 milk has been flowing.

Time will tell if this is Vic’s model of AI’s Game 1 against the Lakers in 2001, but this didn’t quite carry that feel. Instead, while watching Wemby’s systemic takedown of an extremely well-oiled machine, closer in my mind was Game 1 of the 2017 West Finals, when the Spurs were up 25 before Zaza Pachulia stuck his foot out and created a rule. Kawhi Leonard was at, perhaps, his singular peak in that game against much of the same team that would force a similar height out of LeBron James in Game 1 of the following year’s Finals. So many already agree: Victor is there, and he has so much sky before him.