Victor Wembanyama Goes Viral For Drilling Halfcourt Shot vs Thunder

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs was a movie last Monday, with the Spurs winning in double overtime behind 41 points and 24 rebounds from Victor Wembanyama.

The Thunder showed why they’re the reigning champions over the next two games, winning Game 2 by nine and winning Game 3 by 15, and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander justified his back-to-back reigning NBA MVP status.

The Thunder sauntered into Frost Bank Center on Sunday with the opportunity to go up 3-1 in the series and essentially put the nail in the Spurs’ coffin.

Wembanyama said not today.

Wembanyama, better known as Wemby, put up 22 points in the first half. He punctuated it with a 42-foot 3-pointer from smack in the middle of the Spurs’ logo as the halftime buzzer rang. The Spurs carried a 50-38 lead into the half.

The most Wemby part about it was that it didn’t look like your typical halfcourt heave. He maintained the same form he’d use for any jumper and swished it with ease.

This is the first playoff run for Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. So far, he’s led the Spurs to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017. Earlier in the playoffs, the NBA named Wembanyama Defensive Player of the Year. He’s the first player in league history to win the award unanimously.

As impressive as that is, Wembanyama was not satisfied. He had campaigned all season for MVP, and he admitted that he took it personally when he had to watch Gilgeous-Alexander accept the MVP award before Game 1 of this series.

Wembanyama added to his lore by responding with 41 points and 24 rebounds in Game 1, but he can cement his legend if he and the Spurs vanquish the Thunder’s hopes of becoming the NBA’s first repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

Whoever wins the Western Conference Finals will more than likely meet the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks hold a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals and have won 10 straight playoff games.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 7:51 PM.