Basketball: French player Victor Wembanyamas Spurs sweep the Wolves to face the Thunder in the Western finals

Published on May 16, 2026 at 07:47

Reading time: 1min

A comprehensive victory. Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 on Friday, May 15, to win their series 4-2 and qualify for the Western Conference finals where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first playoffs at the end of his third NBA season, 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama led his young team at an electric pace to the Western Conference finals, a level not reached by the Texan franchise since 2017.

After a warm-up in the first round against Portland (4-1), San Antonio defeated Minnesota in the second round (4-2), a solid NBA team that had reached two conference finals. The Texans will have to raise the intensity against Oklahoma City, the reigning champion and season favorite. The showdown in the Western Conference also features a star duel between Victor Wembanyama and Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP who is one of the three finalists for the best player award.

Before facing the Thunder, “Wemby,” who scored 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, successfully eliminated the Wolves, capitalizing on a thunderous collective start to the match. After winning the first quarter 36-27, the Spurs unleashed a 20-0 run to take a 29-point lead.

“Dominating from start to finish shows that we are using our small playoff experience, we managed to put ourselves in the best possible conditions,” explained Victor Wembanyama at a press conference. “We played with determination, trusted the game plan, and pushed hard when scoring points,” added the Frenchman, who is experiencing his first playoffs in his third NBA season. “I’m excited, even if the body is tired. Just the words Western Conference finals, it’s crazy, I’ve heard that all my life, now I’m there, it’s a special feeling,” he added. And to conclude: “I hope it’s the first of many to come.”