The Yankees entered the ninth inning trailing 6-1 and A’s reliever Jack Perkins got it started by striking out Paul Goldschmidt. Ryan McMahon then hit a bloop single and J.C. Escarra walked before Anthony Volpe struck out.
From that point on, over the final 28 pitches of the game, the Yankees swung just twice and it almost proved to be a winning recipe against the wild A’s bullpen.
Perkins walked Trent Grisham on five pitches to load the bases before Scott Barlow entered and walked Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, each on a full count, to force in three runs. Of that group. Judge had the only swing, taking a big hack through a curveball in the zone.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. then worked a 2-2 count on Barlow before grounding out, stranding the tying run on second base.
“Just great at-bats to give us a chance there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “To not only get the tying run to the plate but then have the go-ahead runs on base there at the end, just a lot of patient, real quality at-bats, forcing them to come into the zone.”
The Yankees’ six baserunners in the ninth inning came after they had nine through the first eight innings combined.
Aaron Judge reacts after being one of three Yankees to draw a bases loaded walk during the ninth inning of their 6-4 loss to the A’s on May 30, 2026 in West Sacramento, Calif. AP
“There was a lot of belief that we were going to come through and do it,” McMahon said. “It didn’t go our way, but putting pressure on a team like that, they’ll remember that, and next time we’re down, hopefully we come through.”
The Yankees played a man short Saturday night and likely will again on Sunday after Amed Rosario was placed on the paternity list shortly before the game.
The utilityman left clubhouse in street clothes a few hours before first pitch to head home for the birth of his child, and because of the timing, it did not make sense to fly a replacement cross-country just for Sunday’s series finale before the Yankees return home for an off day Monday.
Players may take up to three days on the paternity list, meaning Rosario could be back on the active roster by the time the Yankees open a homestand on Tuesday against the Guardians.
Since going through an 0-for-24 skid earlier this month, McMahon finished Saturday batting 9-for-29 (.310) with a .965 OPS over his last eight games.
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“Just trying to trust it,” McMahon said. “This game’s extremely hard. Just trying to work every single day so I can go out there and try to do things to help the team win.”
With a pair of walks, Grisham has now reached base multiple times in each of his last four games and seven of his last nine.
His on-base percentage was up to .329, the highest it had been since April 13.
Luis Severino landed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder strain after leaving Friday’s game against his old teammates before the second inning started.
And, in a frustrating setback for the Dodgers, the worst version of Tanner Scott.
Entering the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night in Los Angeles, the red-hot Dodgers seemed to be rolling to a seventh-straight win and a series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
They had gotten 5 ⅓ spectacular innings from Sasaki, who rediscovered 100 mph life on his fastball for the first time this year. They were also protecting a two-run lead, thanks to some big outs from relievers Alex Vesia and Kyle Hurt in the prior two innings.
That’s when Scott came trotting in, trying to extend a 12 ⅓ inning scoreless streak that resembled nothing of the career-worst campaign he endured last season.
Reliever Tanner Scott and catcher Will Smith looks on after Edmundo Sosa belts a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Phillies on May 30, 2026 in Los Angeles. AP
Instead, the veteran left-hander quickly imploded in a 4-3 defeat, succumbing to the exact same two-strike issues that plagued him through so much of his 2025 struggles.
He got leadoff man Justin Crawford in an 0-2 hole, before throwing a low slider that was hit for a single.
With two outs in the inning, he was ahead of Bryce Harper in a 1-2 count, but threw a down-and-in fastball that the two-time MVP ripped to right for an RBI single.
In the next at-bat, Scott got to two strikes again against Edmundo Sosa, this time trying to climb the ladder with a putaway fastball. His heater, however, stayed in Sosa’s “wheelhouse,” as manager Dave Roberts acknowledged.
Sosa walloped it to left for a go-ahead two-run home run.
“We were trying to go up and I thought I could get it high enough, [but] I left it too much in the zone,” Scott said. “Just a bad pitch.”
Just like that, the Dodgers had squandered a lead they had held since Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, and extended on an RBI single from Mookie Betts in the seventh.
Even worse, they let Sasaki’s one-run, three-hit, seven-strikeout gem go to waste, snapping a season-long winning streak that had seemed so certain to continue.
What it means
For the first time since the start of the Dodgers’ recent 13-3 tear, their bullpen finally faltered.
In the previous two losses of that stretch, lackluster offense had been to blame. The bullpen, meanwhile, had been almost flawless, at one point setting a club record with a 38-inning scoreless streak.
Edmundo Sosa belts a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the Dodgers loss to the Phillies. AP
On Saturday, however, the loss fell most squarely on Scott, marking the first time this season he took the mound with a lead and failed to protect it.
“[When] you get count leverage, then you have to be able to put them away,” Roberts said. “And tonight we couldn’t do that.”
Who’s hot
Sasaki, especially with his fastball.
From the very start of the night, the right-handed phenom had found renewed life on his four-seamer. In his very first at-bat against Kyle Schwarber, he hit 99 mph twice, then eclipsed 100 mph for the first time since he was pitching out of the bullpen in last year’s playoffs.
Sasaki would keep lighting up the radar gun the rest of the game, averaging a season-best 98.5 mph with his heater.
Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch during the Dodgers’ loss to the Phillies. AP
It allowed him to attack the Phillies’ star-studded lineup in a way he has rarely been able to as a big-league starter, bouncing back from a second-inning home run from Alec Bohm by retiring the next 13 batters he faced consecutively.
Sasaki’s night only ended after back-to-back one-out singles in the sixth, forcing manager Dave Roberts’ hand with a couple left-handed hitters on deck. But Alex Vesia escaped that jam, preserving what was only Sasaki’s third one-run start this year.
In his last three outings overall, Sasaki has now posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 ⅓ innings, while striking out 19 batters and walking only three.
For the first time this season, he had 100 mph heat to go along with it, marking the most encouraging step yet in his continued growth process in the big leagues.
Who’s not
While Scott was the main culprit, the Dodgers’ offense didn’t help matters either.
Despite racking up nine hits –– including three from Betts –– the club failed to cash in on several chances and went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Kyle Tucker’s 0-for-4 loomed particularly large, especially after he took pregame batting practice on the field for the first time this season in hopes of finding a better feel for his swing.
Instead, he left two runners aboard by grounding out to end the first inning, then failed to get Betts home after a one-out double in the third. He also recorded the final out of the seventh, rolling over to second base again right after Betts had pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
With that, Tucker’s season batting average is back down to .236, amid a 1-for-16 slump since the start of this homestand.
“It’s a work in progress,” Roberts said of the $240 million slugger. “I think he’s frustrated with his swing [and was] really getting beat on some pitches today, not hitting it hard.”
Up next
The Dodgers will try to salvage this series in a Sunday afternoon rubber match, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-4, 3.09 ERA) faces off against right-hander Andrew Painter (1-5, 5.40 ERA).
All of which prompts the question: does Oklahoma City need to significantly tweak its roster to compete with San Antonio?
This is the new reality facing the Thunder. When a young team goes on to win the NBA Finals ahead of schedule like they did last season, it becomes championship or bust.
The thornier complications are financial, and Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti will need to be creative to juggle this roster.
Yet, to be clear, the goal here should be to keep this core intact as much as possible.
Let’s start here: the Thunder, for the latter half of the series, were without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, both of whom are excellent offensive creators and both of whom ease pressure off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
With both sidelined, that forced the ball into Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands and made it easier for the Spurs to throw double-teams at him.
It also put a ton of pressure on Oklahoma City’s shooters, to knock down open looks.
Williams and Mitchell, who emerged this postseason as a solid offensive play-maker, allow Gilgeous-Alexander to play off the ball more. In their absence, the Thunder offense stagnated and everything was taxing for the back-to-back NBA MVP, who scored 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting in Game 7.
It’s a very different series if both Williams and Mitchell are healthy.
“I still think we had enough to get it done,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “We won two-and-a-half games without them, we just didn’t get to it in the biggest game of the series. I guess it will take a little bit, but I’ll go back and watch the games where we had some success, and why did we have success and try to duplicate those things next season.”
In some ways, Oklahoma City is already built to stop a team like the Spurs.
The Thunder have a pair of bigs in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein who can make life tough for Wembanyama. Hartenstein, in particular, used his strength at times in the Western Conference finals to shove and manipulate Wembanyama in the low post.
But Hartenstein has a $28.5 million club option for next season that the Thunder will need to exercise before June 29. If Oklahoma City wants to save some space in the salary cap, declining that option is an easy route.
The more complicated question surrounds Holmgren. His five-year, $239.3 million contract extension kicks in next season. Holmgren finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting to Wembanyama and was an All-NBA third-team selection. Yet, he disappeared at times during the Western Conference finals and produced his worst performance in Game 7, when he took just 2 shot attempts and finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds.
That’s probably not enough for the Thunder to dangle him in a trade this offseason — perhaps to move up from the No. 12 pick that they currently hold in the 2026 NBA Draft — but Presti is going to have to be calculating a judicious.
That means veterans like Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams may be gone — out of necessity more than anything. The same could be said even for Alex Caruso, who is a tremendously versatile defender and whose championship experience is treasured in the locker room.
If the goal is to keep the core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren intact, the Thunder will need to be cold and calculated. They will have to let go of good players — including ones beloved in the locker room.
Gilgeous-Alexander turns 28 in July and is in his prime. Williams is 25 and Holmgren is 24. The Thunder's window to win is now. As long as this core is together, anything else becomes a disappointment.
“To be a 64-win team and have the net rating we did, overcome some of the adversities we did in the season is something we’re incredibly proud of,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after Game 7. “It’s something we can build on. When you have a team that’s together for a long time, you have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones. It’s the NBA, there are tough ones.
“And we can also be really disappointed. We felt like we could’ve won the series, obviously. We were right there, in the game and in the series. There’s nobody that we don’t think we can beat, respectfully, so obviously we’re going to be disappointed with the outcome. You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can be proud of the progress you made this season and some of the successes, and you can be disappointed.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 12: Bryan Woo #22 of the Seattle Mariners pitches in the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 12, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, there’s honestly not so much to say about this one. Ryne Nelson was going for us today, which I actually felt pretty good about, given that the Ryno had pitched at least seven innings in his last three starts, and was rocking an ERA right around 2.70 for the month of May. He was going up against Bryan Woo, a very talented Seattle right-hander who’s been pretty good but who has had a middle-of-the-road performance so far this year, much like the rest of the Mariners’ ballclub.
Sadly, though, tonight it was no contest.
It started off okay, or it seemed to. Ketel Marte led off the game by making good contact on the first pitch Woo threw him for a fading liner into shallow right. I thought it was going to drop for a hit, but Mariners’ right fielder Luke Raley made a nice diving-ish catch to snag it just before it landed in the right field grass. Corbin Carroll then struck out looking, and Geraldo Perdomo struck out looking, getting Woo out of the top of the first with all of ten pitches thrown.
Ryne Nelson matched him, sorta, and even did better, sorta—he gave up a leadoff single, but then induced a one-pitch double play and then a lineout to Tommy Troy in left to face the minimum with only eight pitches thrown. So that was cool….maybe it would be a pitching duel.
Woo came out for the second, however, and promptly struck out Gabriel Moreno, Adrian Del Castillo, and Ryan Waldschmidt on fifteen total pitches. So, six batters faced, and after what turned out to be a lineout he struck out the next five. Yeah. It was all like that.
Meanwhile, Ryne Nelson stumbled in the bottom of the second. After getting a one-pitch flyout to start things off, he allowed a solo home run to Raley, who sent a middle-middle fastball over the wall in right center. One out later, he threw a hanging curveball to old friend Dominic Canzone for the same result. 2-0 Seattle
Woo recorded three more outs in order against the bottom of our lineup in the top of the third, though in what seemed like it might be a hopeful sign (SPOILER: it wasn’t), there were no strikeouts involved. In the bottom of the inning, though, Nelson pretty much repeated what he’d done in the previous inning, surrendering his third solo homer to Mariners’ rookie and nine-hole hitter Colt Emerson, and then his fourth one out later to Julio Rodriguez. 4-0 Seattle
But the real story, aside from all the jokes that erupted in the Gameday Thread about “solo homers won’t lose you the game” and so forth, was really Bryan Woo, who continued to deal. He retired the top of our order again in the fourth, continuing what was to that point a perfect game. That, thankfully, was broken up with one out in the top of the fifth, as Adrian Del Castillo lined a single to center, and then, after Waldschmidt grounded to third but beat the throw that would have resulted in an inning-ending double play, Ildemaro Vargas singled to center. That was that, though, as Jose Fernandez, playing third after Nolan Arenado was a late scratch from the lineup, struck out looking to end our one threat. Woo then retired the Diamondbacks in order in both the sixth and the seventh. We could do nothing against the dude.
Nelson, meanwhile, settled down, I suppose, at least insofar as he stopped giving up solo dingers to random Mariners. He pitched around traffic in both the fourth and the fifth, but managed to put up zeroes in both frames, and given that he’d actually been very efficient, he was only at 78 pitches after five innings of work so he came out to start the sixth. Sadly, however, it did not go well, though this time it was not entirely his fault. Randy Arozarena hung a seven-pitch AB on him to start the frame, but hit an easy grounder to Jose Fernandez for what should have been the first out of the inning. Fernandez, however, air-mailed the throw to first, putting Arozarena on second on the two-base error. Luke Raley then singled to left to advance Arozarena to third, and a Cole Young sac fly to right scored him. All that mishegaas brought Nelson to 99 pitches, and with only the one out recorded, Torey Lovullo swapped him out for Ryan Thompson. Thompson gave up a double down the left field line to Canzone, but recorded the last two outs without any further damage. 5-0 Seattle
And you might think that that would be your ballgame—I expected it to be, myself. Woo was basically unstoppable through his seven innings of work, and our offense, which was basically everywhere all the time when they were needed over the last three series, were nowhere to be found. Their bullpen did their job, our bullpen did its job, with Thompson pitching a second scoreless inning for us and Taylor Clarke putting up a zero in the bottom of the eighth, and us squandering a leadoff single from Waldschmidt in the eighth and then going down to our last out with Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll making easy outs on the infield to start the ninth.
But no! While everyone else on the team would have liked nothing more than to simply put this one to bed and absquatulate back to the hotel with all speed, Perdomo decided that he was having none of it. Facing Mariners reliever Alex Hoppe, Gerry drew an eight-pitch walk, then promptly took second on defensive indifference. Hoppe then uncorked a pitch that I thought was wild, but was scored a passed ball instead. It rolled to the backstop, Gerry advanced to third, and when Hoppe forgot to cover home plate, Gerry just kept on going:
Moreno promptly grounded out to short to end things after that, but at least Gerry’s hustle spared us the indignity of a shutout loss? 5-1 Seattle
Loss Probability Added, courtesy of FanGraphs
Good Rhinos: NONE Bad Rhino: Ryne Nelson (5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 4 HR, -26% WPA)
So, yeah. That was pretty much that. Only one Diamondback had a positive WPA contribution, and that was Ryan Thompson, who managed to contribute a whopping +1%. Adrian Del Castillo and Taylor Clarke at least managed to be neutral, contributing 0% apiece in total. But, well, it was that sort of game.
Perhaps surprisingly, given that, we had a pretty well-attended Gameday Thread tonight, with 274 comments at time of writing, so that was nice. Comment of the game goes to Fearless Leader for this one that got the most rec’s, though to be fair it was one of many that appeared around the same time that worked the same theme:
To be fair, it wasn’t the solo home runs that beat us, I don’t think. It was more that we couldn’t score any runs of our own. Well, at least not until the very end.
Anyway.
Tomorrow we will try to avoid being driven back to the desert by sailors brandishing brooms, I guess. Merrill Kelly goes for us, Bryce Miller takes the mound for Seattle, first pitch is scheduled for an actually reasonable time for a weekend game, which is to say 1:10pm AZ time. Join us if you can, we hope to see you!
As always, thanks for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
Victor Wembanyama is 7ft 5in and has an 8ft wingspan [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama bagged 22 points as San Antonio Spurs defeated defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, where they will face the New York Knicks.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson had called on Wembanyama to score more than 20 points after a disappointing showing in game five.
An inspired 28-point haul by the 22-year-old Frenchman on Friday helped level the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and save his "childhood dream" - which is now within touching distance.
"Winning the Larry O'Brien [NBA championship trophy] is a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance at winning it - it's a lifetime chance," said Wembanyama after reaching the Finals for the first time.
"You never know when it's gonna happen again. But the day we win it, speaking for myself, it's going to be an amazing day - the realisation of a dream.
"It's hard to put into words. It's almost like the meaning of my life."
Johnson's side last won the NBA showpiece in 2014, while the Knicks will compete in the finals for the first time in 27 years.
It will be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, which San Antonio won in five games for their first of five NBA championships.
Having scored 41 points in game one and 33 points in game four, the number one pick in the 2023 draft showed in the deciding two matches why he was one of the most coveted picks since LeBron James in 2003.
"What I've learned is that I can go through hurdles that I didn't know could get so high," added Wembanyama.
"I found resources inside of me. Relentlessness. I already knew that, but doing it at this level, this is the best basketball being played on the planet right now. And the crazy thing is I want to do that 15 or 20 more times."
The NBA Finals series will begin on 3 June, with a possible game seven finale on 19 June.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper, from New Jersey, and Julian Champagnie, from New York, have deep roots in the local basketball scene.
Harper, 20, attended Don Bosco Prep High School just outside of New York City in Ramsey, NJ and spent his freshman year of college at Rutgers before being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Champagnie, 24, went to Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn and then stayed close to home by going to St. John's for three seasons.
After winning the Western Conference Finals, both players couldn't have been more excited to talk about returning home and facing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on the biggest stage.
"It's going to be a fun one," Harper said. "I think they kind of got us in the [NBA] Cup, like you said, got us when we went there. We pulled out a close one at home. I think for us it comes down to doubling down on what we're good at... I feel like it's a great matchup.
"For me, my dream has been always to play in The Garden in the NBA Finals and I get to do that my first year. I'm not gonna take nothing for granted."
Growing up in New Jersey, Harper said that he's attended many Knicks games throughout his life and expects to get countless ticket requests from people. The rookie added this opportunity doesn't feel real, but he's confident that it's meant to be.
"I've been to so many Knicks playoff games, Knicks games. I live 25, 30 minutes from the arena. I know there's going to be a whole lot of tickets I'll be asked for, but my phone's going to be off for that," Harper said. "It's a dream come true, it's a blessing. It's kind of where I've always wanted to play at for the Finals.
"I think that if you would have told this last year, I would have told you you're crazy. I think that you kind of go through what you go through to get to moments like this. I've kind of just been steadying, just wanting wants best for me."
"I've been to so many Knicks playoff games, Knicks games - I live 25, 30 minutes from the arena. I know there's going to be a whole lot of tickets I'll be asked for."
Dylan Harper on growing up a Knicks fan and now facing them in the NBA Finals: pic.twitter.com/XzlJJTTsrf
Champagnie said playing at The Garden while at St. John's as a kid from Brooklyn was a special moment, but this is going to be a whole different experience.
"That's every kid's dream, that's every kid's dream," Champagnie said. "I remember my first time actually playing in The Garden, I was at St. John's, and I was just like in awe of how much greatness has gone through there and what that means to a kid from the city. Being that now we get to go play them for a championship? That's personal, that's personal.
"I get to go home. Obviously, to see family. I get to play in front of a lot of my family. My family hasn't come to no games yet, I've been keeping it strictly basketball right now. When the Knicks made the championship, I tell them, I said, 'When we get this done, you guys can come to every game if you want to, so what.'
"It's up the block, I've passed by there so many times, I've played there so many times. Being able to go back there and compete for a championship? There's no better feeling, no better feeling."
Knowing the Knicks fanbase well, Champagnie added that he and the Spurs won't be bothered by them traveling to San Antonio and is confident in his team's fans showing up in New York.
"I don't think we're too worried about the fans," Champagnie said. "Obviously me being from New York, I know how they get. So there's a little bit of that in me. I don't think we're too worried about their fans. We have great fans down in San Antonio. I'm 100 percent sure that the same way Knicks fans will travel, San Antonio fans will travel. So I'm not too worried about fans and stuff like that, we're gonna make sure it gets done."
While it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the two local players, it'll be a tough challenge against a Knicks team who's won a playoff-record 11 straight games.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals is on Tuesday, June 3 in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m.
"That's every kid's dream"
Julian Champagnie, who was born in New York City and played college basketball at St. John's, on playing in the NBA Finals at MSG: pic.twitter.com/UHJhjhJl57
The Yankees’ one run before the ninth inning gave Weathers little margin for error, and another strong outing for him turned sour when he gave up his third home run of the night on his 107th and final pitch — resulting in five runs overall — as the Yankees snapped a five-game winning streak with a 6-4 loss to the Athletics at Sutter Health Park.
The Yankees made a wild — emphasis on the wild — last push in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with two outs and forcing in three runs on three straight full-count walks by Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. But Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to end it, leaving the tying run at second base in crushing fashion.
“It’s a tough one to swallow, but just got to move on from it,” Weathers said.
After stranding a pair of runners in the top of the seventh, the Yankees (35-23) trailed 3-1 as Weathers went back out to the mound and retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning. He then walked leadoff hitter Colby Thomas on a full count, at which point Aaron Boone went to the mound to check on him.
The Yankees manager wanted the left-on-left matchup against Nick Kurtz, but it backfired, as Weathers’ next pitch was a 94 mph fastball up and in that Kurtz deposited just over the wall in center field to put the A’s (28-30) up 5-1.
Boone said he did not second-guess the decision to keep Weathers in to face Kurtz, but indicated he could have pulled him before facing Thomas.
Ryan Weathers reacts after allowing a home run during the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the A’s on May 30 in West Sacramento, Calif. AP Photo
“I feel like kind of kicking myself — probably after he got the second out, through the bottom [of the order] … definitely a case there to go for the leadoff hitter,” said Boone, who had Camilo Doval warming but wanted to keep the A’s lefty hitters on the bench. “I don’t’ question leaving him in there for Kurtz, I’m going to take my left-on-left shot there with two outs. But after he got those first two, and throwing quite a few pitches to that point, that’s the one where maybe I go to Doval there.”
It made for a rough ending on a night when Weathers struck out 10 across 6 ²/₃ innings but was victimized by three long balls — a two-run homer from Shea Langeliers in the first inning, a solo shot from Tyler Soderstrom in the sixth and the two-run blast from Kurtz in the seventh — and a lack of support from his offense.
For the eighth time in Weathers’ 11 starts, the Yankees scored two runs or fewer while he was in the game. They have now averaged 2.95 runs scored per nine innings while Weathers is pitching, the fourth-lowest mark among qualified starters.
This week alone, Yankees starters had received plenty of run support, only for that to dry up on Saturday for their first loss in over a week.
Nick Kurtz’s two-run homer just gets over the glove of Trent Grisham during the seventh inning of the Yankees’ loss. Getty Images
“I put them in a bad spot giving two runs up in the first,” Weathers said. “This is a game of momentum, so if we don’t score, I got to put up a zero and just keep momentum. We create momentum if we score and same for them. I gave them momentum early and this is a game of that. I just can’t do that.”
In a dugout that had no tunnel to the clubhouse (in center field), Weathers expressed his frustration in full view of the cameras after coming out of the game, slamming his glove and other objects after an otherwise encouraging night was spoiled.
Tyler Soderstrom celebrates after scoring on his solo home run during the sixth inning of the A’s win over the Yankees. Imagn Images
“It’s just a competitive kid that pitched his heart out, pitched a whale of a game, frankly,” Boone said. “Two-run homer there to finish sours it, but thought he threw the ball great.”
The Yankees nearly finished off a furious comeback in the top of the ninth, when they recorded one single and five walks against A’s relievers Jack Perkins and Scott Barlow. Before Chisholm grounded out, the Yankees had taken just one swing in their last 27 pitches as the A’s almost self-destructed.
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“Love the finish,” Boone said, “just didn’t quite get over the hump there.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees comes out to talk with pitcher Ryan Weathers #40 against the Athletics in the bottom of the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park on May 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
West Coast trips stink. Unless you’re one of the many Yankees fans who live out west, I think a lot of us can agree on that. When they win, it’s chill, especially if it’s a relative blowout like Friday night, where you could catch some shut-eye a little early.
When they lose, you just feel like you stayed up for nothing. This one wrapped up around one in the morning on the East Coast and I kind of wish that I just went to bed after learning the Knicks will face the Spurs in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
The story of tonight’s game was the power of the (Sacramento) Athletics. A lineup that can be truly scary at times showed why, as they took what was overall a pretty solid night from Ryan Weathers and completely wrecked his line with a trio of long home runs to center field. Couple that with an offense that blew some opportunities early and couldn’t finish off a marathon rally in the ninth, and you get a 6-4 defeat to set up a rubber game tomorrow afternoon.
Ben Rice got things started for the Yankees’ offense with a one-out single in the first off J.T. Ginn, but was erased on a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Aaron Judge. Weathers took the bump in the bottom half and gave up a fair amount of hard contact, including an absolute bomb off the bat of Shea “Bangeliers” Langeliers to dead center to give the A’s a quick 2-0 lead.
The second went in a similar fashion for the Yanks, as Paul Goldschmidt ripped a single with two outs before being stranded. Weathers induced more soft contact in a 1-2-3 second. Both teams got a baserunner in the third on an Austin Wells single and Langeliers walk, but both pitchers had settled into a groove.
By the time the fourth came around, the Yankees were able to take advantage of the Athletics’ poor defense. Ginn walked Cody Bellinger with one out before giving up a single to Jazz Chisholm Jr. A bad hop caused Henry Bolte to boot it in center field, allowing Bellinger to advance to third.
That proved costly, as Chisholm bolted for second a few pitches later and forced an E4 on a stolen base that scored Bellinger and got Jazz to third with one out. A Goldschmidt walk set up runners on the corners in a prime position to tie or take the lead, but Ryan McMahon struck out, and Wells flew out to get Ginn out of trouble, but not before the Yankees cut the deficit to one. Weathers’ strikeout stuff came back to him in the bottom half, striking out a pair after a leadoff walk.
After coming oh-so-close to tying the game in the fourth, the Yankees somehow managed to get even closer in the fifth. A two-out walk by Rice set up Judge for the third time through, and the three-time MVP put a charge into a fastball and sent it to deep right field, only for it to be caught at the wall. That ball is a home run in 16 ballparks, including Yankee Stadium. Ouch
Ginn wrapped up six strong innings with a 1-2-3 sixth, while his offense added some extra insurance. Weathers was in a groove into the sixth inning after allowing the early home run, but was tagged by Tyler Soderstrom with one out to deep right-center field for a solo shot, making it 3-1.
Ginn was finally lifted after six for the lefty Hogan Harris. McMahon, who was taking the at-bat because Amed Rosario left on paternity leave, ripped a leadoff single. After a pinch-hitting José Caballero and Anthony Volpe were both retired, Trent Grisham worked a walk to set up Rice with the tying run on first. Despite working a full count, the third of the inning, Harris’ slow, looping curveball neutralized him the same way it did with Caballero earlier in the inning, ending the threat.
Despite his pitch count climbing, Weathers remained in the game and appeared to be on the verge of completing seven strong innings, but he lost Colby Thomas with two away, prompting a visit from Aaron Boone. With the powerful lefty Nick Kurtz due up, the Yankees’ skipper elected to stay with his laboring left-hander, hoping he had enough in the tank to get him out, rather than go to Camilo Doval.
Sometimes, the ol’ “fake manager hook” works. Sometimes, it doesn’t.
The Big Amish obliterated the first pitch he saw for a dagger home run that knocked him out after a career-high 107 pitches. 5-1 A’s.
Weathers pitched better than his line of 6.2 innings and five runs allowed, but you are what your numbers say you are. The Athletics can slug, and Weathers gave up three long homers. It happens, but the 10 strikeouts and the ability to grind past 100 pitches are the parts that encourage you here.
Justin Sterner got the eighth for the A’s and sat down the heart of the order 1-2-3. Jake Bird got the eighth and immediately got in trouble, plunking Bolte and allowing a double to Soderstrom. After a strikeout, Zack Gelof lined a two-strike RBI single to left to extend the lead to 6-1. Fortunately, the rally stopped there after some bad baserunning from the A’s, coupled with all-around head’s-up defense, led to a *checks notes* 5-2-6-4-5 double play.
Jack Perkins came on to get the final three outs for the Athletics, but despite the five-run lead, it was never that simple. McMahon blooped a one-out single, Escarra worked a walk, and Grisham extended the game with a walk of his own. With the bases loaded, Mark Kotsay turned to Scott Barlow, who walked Rice to bring in a run and bring up Judge as the tying run in a 6-2 ballgame.
The game got really interesting as Barlow straight up refused to throw strikes with the heart of the order just one swing away from tying the game. He walked Judge and Bellinger to force in another two runs before Chisholm took two called strikes and then finally put one in play. He was jammed on a 2-2 fastball on the inside part of the plate, grounding out to first and stranding the tying run on second.
The final game of the six-game road trip is a much easier watch for those on the East Coast, as the Yankees play the rubber game against the A’s tomorrow at 4:05 pm EST on YES. The pitching matchup will feature Will Warren against lefty Jacob Lopez, who was just announced a few minutes ago.
Philadelphia's Edmundo Sosa, left, walks to first base after hitting a two-run home run off Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott during the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 4-3 loss Saturday at Dodger Stadium. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Philadelphia’s Edmundo Sosa sauntered out of the box, motioning with one hand in a pump-wave in front of a nearly packed Dodger Stadium. The left fielder, who had taken over for Brandon Marsh in the top of the sixth, connected on a four-seam fastball that Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott left too far over the plate for a go-ahead home run.
The Dodgers had been playing with fire all night, but they couldn’t regain momentum after Scott’s struggles, losing to the Phillies 4-3 to set up a Sunday series rubber match.
The loss ended the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak for only its third defeat in 16 games.
“I was trying to go up, and I left it more on the plate,” said Scott about the home run pitch. “It wasn’t out of the strike zone with two strikes and it caught me.”
The Dodgers (37-21) started strong, with pitcher Roki Sasaki giving up just three hits and one earned run over 5⅓ innings.
Sasaki’s elevated velocity posed early concerns for the Dodgers as he struggled more with his command. The right-hander crossed the 100-mph threshold for the first time this season on two pitches: a 100.4-mph four-seam to J.T. Realmuto and another fastball, this time 100.1mph, to Kyle Schwarber.
“The fastball was really good,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. “The velo was there. I was able to execute what the catcher called.”
Three of his four pitches — the four-seam, slider and splitter — averaged at least 1.2 mph faster than his yearly average.
Roberts said he was surprised to see Sasaki hit triple digits. The Japanese pitcher has been working hard in the weight room and, earlier in the season, he would check the speed of his pitches on the radar gun after every throw. The next step will be to execute his harder throws with a more precise location.
“You layer in the confidence and the conviction and all that stuff,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Then you get a really good fastball with very good command. It’s a very good lineup over there. I know they’re not swinging the bats the way that they will. But good team over there, and he really kept them at bay.”
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning Saturday against the Phillies. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
The Phillies (30-28) struggled to generate consistent momentum. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm hammered a four-seam fastball that skimmed the top of the strike zone over the center-field wall in the first inning. The rest of the Philadelphia lineup struggled against Sasaki, striking out seven times and walking only once.
Roberts pulled Sasaki with runners on first and second in the sixth. Left-hander Alex Vesia walked Bryce Harper but escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out Sosa and forcing Bohm into a groundout to third.
“Early on, certainly last year, a little bit this year, you’re trying to protect him,” Roberts said of Sasaki. “I think that you’re trying to not let the shoe drop, leave him with a feeling of confidence when he leaves the mound. Today, I thought he was still throwing the baseball well, but with two guys coming up I thought Alex was a good matchup for those two guys.
“There’ll be an opportunity to push Roki later. ... I’m not necessarily pins and needles, but I just feel like I can give him a little more leash now.”
By then, the Dodgers had already established a lead. Alex Call put them on the board in the second on a poked single through the gap between second and short. In the fourth, Call reached third on a double and a fielding error from Adolis García. Santiago Espinal hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, driving in Call.
Mookie Betts also found his footing after he went 0 for 3 on Friday. The shortstop struggled in the first four games of the Dodgers’ homestand, batting .200 across 15 plate appearances. Against the Phillies on Saturday night, Betts laced two singles and a double.
Andy Pages scored on a close play at the plate after Betts singled to shallow right field in the seventh. Although catcher J.T. Realmuto missed tagging Pages’ foot, the Dodgers center fielder’s cleat didn’t appear to touch the plate. After a long review, the safe at home call stood.
But the Dodgers’ good fortune didn’t last. Scott gave up an RBI single to Harper, and it was like the Phillies could sense exactly when the reliever’s pitches crossed over the zone. Scott (1-2) then gave up the home run to Sosa before the Dodgers were retired on three groundouts in the ninth.
Before Saturday, Scott’s 1.14 ERA ranked third among National League relievers who had thrown at least 20 innings. He hadn’t given up a run in May and he had only given up three earned runs this season.
In the span of two at-bats, however, he looked closer to the pitcher that struggled last year.
“You throw a pitch in [Sosa’s] wheelhouse, and that’s what happens,” Roberts said. “It happened quick. But Tanner has been great. No one is trying to give up hits and homers. But part of the equation is, you get count leverage, and then you have to be able to put them away. And tonight we couldn’t do that.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 30: The San Antonio Spurs celebrates winning the Western Conference championship against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Morgan Givens/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Two nights ago, the San Antonio Spurs were staring elimination right in the eyes. The defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder had control of the Western Conference Finals and had the young Spurs squad on the brink of elimination in their first playoff run. However, instead of folding under pressure like many felt they would, the Spurs responded.
First came the rout in Game 6 as San Antonio handed Oklahoma City a 27-point defeat to force a seventh and final game. On Saturday night, the Spurs faced their biggest test yet: A Game 7 on the road in a hostile road environment to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. The moment never seemed too much for this Spurs team, not in this year.
Inside a loud and often times deafening Paycom Center, the Spurs played loose and confident as they defeated the Thunder 111-103 to win the Western Conference title and in the process, earning their first trip back to the NBA Finals since 2014.
“We had a lot of guys step up and make shots tonight, which we needed with a variety of people who had the double digit points, but it was a complete team effort,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.
As the final seconds ticked off, Devin Vassell put the exclamation point on the series with a breakaway dunk, sending most of the fans inside the arena towards the exits. As the buzzer sounded, emotion overcame Victor Wembanyama as he embraced his teammates, partly relieved but mostly excited. The franchise that has won five NBA championships and went through a rebuild was finally back on basketball’s biggest stage.
The victory wasn’t built on one moment, it was built on the emotion and resilience of a team that was told “not yet” by critics and talking heads on television. Instead, as Mike Tirco put it, “a new era has arrived.” Wembanyama, the face of the franchise and the centerpiece of its future, delivered when his team needed him the most. He scored 22 points and paced the Spurs’ defense, reminding everyone why he quickly becoming the next face of the league. But it wasn’t just Wemby who put the Spurs back in this position.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream and having a real shot at it, having a chance, a tangible chance at winning it realizing a dream,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a lifetime chance you never know what’s going to happen again.”
Julian Champagnie had one of the best games of his career, scoring 20 points and hitting six three-pointers. Every time Oklahoma City threatened to build momentum, Champagnie seemed to answer with another big shot from downtown. Stephon Castle, playing far beyond his years, continued his emergence as one of the postseason’s breakout stars with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Still, the Thunder refused to go down without a fight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put his team on his back, pouring in 35 points, and did everything possible to keep Oklahoma City alive. Each double-digit lead for San Antonio felt fragile when it was matched with another SGA bucket. Still, San Antonio proved this night and this Western Conference belongs to them.
When Oklahoma City cut into the lead during the second half, the Spurs answered with defensive stops. When Wembanyama found himself battling foul trouble late in the game, Luke Kornet came up with a huge block that resembled LeBron James against Golden State in 2016 that led to Mike Breen’s famous call “blocked by James!”. The ball continued to move. The defense continued to swarm.
Most importantly, the belief never disappeared and that’s what has made this run feel different. For years, the Spurs’ future was something to discuss. It was potential, draft picks, projections and being “on schedule”. Now, it is a reality. The young roster that spent the season learning how to win spent the postseason proving it could. Along the way, San Antonio survived injuries, overcame adversity and eliminated the defending champions on their home court.
“Coming here, my first full year, being able to be in the Finals, I don’t know about if I thought that, but I knew that we’re going to have a damn good team, and we continued to get better throughout the course of the season,” Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said.
The reward is a trip to the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, a rematch of the 1999 championship series that saw the Spurs win their first NBA title. This version of the Spurs, however, is creating its own legacy. The dynasty teams that had Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Gregg Popovich inspired a generation. This Spurs team is beginning to inspire the next one.
Now, after years of rebuilding and a season of learning how to win together, the Spurs are now four wins away from bringing another NBA Championship home to the Alamo City.
While the journey isn’t finished, for one unforgettable night in Oklahoma City, the Spurs arrived exactly where they’ve always believed they belong.
Game Notes
Shoutout to Keldon Johnson, who struggled in these playoffs, but came up big when his team needed him to. He scored 11 points, including two huge three-pointers in fourth quarter.
Dylan Harper had 12 points, showing the confidence of a seasoned veteran. He will be key in these NBA Finals.
Devin Vassell didn’t have the best shooting night, but he did the little things that were needed for his team to come out on top.
The Spurs will have three days off to prepare for the Knicks and, most importantly, give De’Aaron Fox and Harper time to recover from their lingering injuries.
The Yankees' offense was quiet on Saturday night after scoring 34 runs this past week, losing to the Athletics, 6-4.
New York made it interesting in the ninth inning, drawing three straight bases-loaded walks to cut into the lead, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to end the game.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Ryan Weathers had an up and down outing, allowing five runs on six hits (three home runs) with 10 strikeouts and three walks over 6.2 IP and 107 pitches.
He opened with a tough first inning, letting up a huge two-run home run to Shea Langeliers that gave the Athletics an early 2-0 lead. Weathers bounced back with a five-pitch, 1-2-3 second inning and kept it going through the fifth inning, allowing just one hit with six strikeouts in that span. However, his hot streak came to an end with one out in the sixth inning, allowing a solo home run to Tyler Soderstrom as the A's went up 3-1.
Weathers got two quick outs in the seventh inning, and despite his pitch count crossing 100, Aaron Boone kept him in to face slugger Nick Kurtz after a walk. The decision backfired as Kurtz launched a two-run homer to center field, making it a 5-1 game and ending the left-hander's night.
-- New York got a run back in the fourth inning thanks to two mistakes by the Athletics. CF Henry Bolte misplayed Chisholm's single, allowing Cody Bellinger to advance from first to third base. Chisholm then stole second base to avoid the inning-ending double play, but Langeliers' throw got by second baseman Alika Williams into the outfield -- making it easy for Bellinger to score and cut the lead to 2-1.
-- Aaron Judge nearly tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, but his deep drive was just short as right fielder Colby Thomas made the catch up against the wall.
The Yanks had another scoring chance in the seventh inning after Ryan McMahon led off with a single. Although, José Caballero and Anthony Volpe both couldn't get the job done, and after Trent Grisham walked, Ben Rice struck out swinging for the third out.
-- Jake Bird struggled in eighth inning by hitting the leadoff man Brent Rooker, allowing a double to Soderstrom, and letting up an RBI-single to Zack Gelof as the A's took a 6-1 lead.
-- Amed Rosario did not play and will be out again Sunday after he was placed on the paternity list prior to the game.
Game MVP: Nick Kurtz
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Honorable mention goes to RHP J.T. Ginn, who allowed just one unearned run on four hits over 6.0 IP with four strikeouts and three walks.
Highlights
Jazz singles and Bellinger advances on a bobble in center field and the Yankees are set up with runners on the corners and one out for Paul Goldschmidt pic.twitter.com/FUDFf4fUHx
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 30: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott (66) reacts after giving up the go ahead home run during the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 30, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki continued to impress, pitching into the sixth inning, and the Dodgers had a late lead. But Tanner Scott allowed his first runs on over a month in a decisive eighth inning in a stunning 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Scott had a rough go of it in his first year in Los Angeles, but this season has looked much more like the dominant reliever the Dodgers signed to a four-year contract. Entering Saturday he struck out a third of his batters with a 1.14 ERA, 2.18 xERA in 23 2/3 innings, and hadn’t allowed a run since April 24, thirteen appearances ago.
Staked to a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, Scott allowed a pair of singles for one run, snapping his scoreless skid, then Edmundo Sosa hit a two-run home run just over the left field wall to turn the game around.
After leading the majors with 10 blown saves last season, this was Scott’s first blown save of 2026. Before the three runs in the eighth inning on Saturday, all Dodgers actual relief pitchers (Miguel Rojas excluded) allowed two runs in their previous 50 2/3 innings.
Encouraging beginning
Sasaki has found some success of late in throwing his harder split-fingered pitch, which plays better off his fastball. That’s kept him in games longer, and helped him string together confidence-building starts.
“Over the last handful of weeks, he’s just more comfortable,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “For me, the quality of [the fastball], the command of it has gotten a lot better. He hasn’t hit 100, but it’s still commanded a lot better than it was early on. 97 commanded is a lot better than 100 out of the hitting zone.”
Sasaki did hit triple digits on Saturday, twice (100.4 and 100.1 mph), plus three more at 99.8 mph and 99.7 mph. It’s the first time he’s thrown 100 mph this year, something he did regularly in Japan and did three times last season. But more importantly, he was effective, matching his MLB high with 18 swinging strikes — eight on the fastball, seven on the slider, and three on the slider.
Alec Bohm hit a 98.9-mph fastball at the top edge of the strike zone over the center field wall for the first run of the game, in the second inning. But Sasaki didn’t allow much else, and retired his next 13 batters in a row before Kyle Schwarber — who struck out in his first two at-bats — reached on an infield dribbler in the sixth inning. A more traditional single, by Trea Turner to right field, ended Sasaki’s night at seven strikeouts through 5 1/3 innings, up 2-1 but with the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Alex Vesia walked Bryce Harper to load the bases, but struck out Edmundo Sosa and got Bohm to ground out to strand the inherited runners, escaping his second jam in as many nights.
Sasaki ended his promising May with a 3.18 ERA in five starts, with 28 strikeouts against only six walks in 28 1/3 innings.
Alex Call, making his second start in a row in left field after Teoscar Hernández strained his left hamstring, was instrumental in the Dodgers’ first two runs. He singled home Will Smith in the second inning, then doubled to center in the fourth on a ball that got past a diving Justin Crawford, and took third on an error by Adolis Garcia attempting to help out in right. Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night.
Andy Pages doubled in the seventh inning, and scored on a two-out single by Mookie Betts. Pages nearly got thrown out at home, but was ruled safe. That distinction proved important, because replays were inconclusive whether catcher JT Realmuto tagged his foot or whether Pages even touched home plate at all. Not enough to overturn the Phillies challenge meant the call stood, and the Dodgers got their insurance.
They just needed a little more cushion in this one, and the win streak is snapped at six games.
May 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Dominic Canzone (8) reacts towards the dugout after hitting a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Mariners 5, Diamondbacks 1
Back-to-back series wins: Bryan Woo, +.24 WPA
Letting the shutout get away in the 9th: Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena, Cole Young, and Mitch Garver, -.02 WPA
Victor Wembanyama was emotional after the Spurs defeated the Thunder in Game 7 on May 30.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t say anything after Game 5, ducking out of Paycom Center before speaking with reporters.
He didn’t say much after the Spurs’ Game 6 victory, either, during an on-court interview with NBC.
But after Game 7, after Wembanyama powered the Spurs past top-seeded Oklahoma City in a thrilling finish to the Western Conference finals and into an NBA Finals showdown against the Knicks, his emotions on the court said it all.
Wembanyama was visibly emotional while embracing his San Antonio teammates following their 111-103 victory over the Thunder on Saturday in Oklahoma City, at one point placing his head in his hands and yelling in celebration as he made his way around the court immediately after the final buzzer sounded.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien [trophy], it’s a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a chance, tangible chance at winning it, realizing a dream, you know — it’s a chance,” Wembanyama told reporters during his postgame press conference. “It’s a lifetime chance. You never know when it’s gonna happen again. The day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s gonna be an amazing day of realization of the dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
THE RAW EMOTION
THE MOMENT THE SPURS CLINCHED THEIR SPOT IN THE 2026 NBA FINALS IN OKLAHOMA CITY! pic.twitter.com/uCfQdOOnI5
Victor Wembanyama reacts after the Spurs’ 111-103 Game 7 win over the Thunder on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City. NBAE via Getty Images
It’s fitting that Wembanyama — one of the new faces of the league as a superstar in his third year — will lead the Spurs back to their first Finals appearance since 2014, which also marked their last title.
The 7-foot-4 center finished third in MVP voting and became the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner during the regular season, finishing with averages of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and an NBA-best 3.1 blocks per game.
Victor Wembanyama was emotional after the Spurs’ Game 7 win. Imagn Images
That success has continued during his first trip to the postseason, too, as Wembanyama had averaged 23.3, 11.0, 2.8 and 3.7 per game in the playoffs before adding another 22 points and seven rebounds in Game 7.
And now, San Antonio sits four wins from its fifth title this century, with Game 1 set for Wednesday against the Knicks — who defeated the Spurs in the NBA Cup final back in December at a neutral site in Las Vegas.
Victor Wembanyama celebrates with his Spurs teammates after their Game 7 win. AP Photo
“I want to win so bad,” Wembanyama said during his postgame press conference. “It’s like my life depends on it.”
The 22-year-old was visibly emotional as the clock ran out on the road game at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. He tucked his face into his jersey and pumped his fists before giving hugs to teammates De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie.
Wembanyama, who won the Defensive Player of the Year in the regular season, was named the Western Conference finals Most Valuable Player. His emotions continued throughout the night.
Here is two minutes of an extremely emotional Victor Wembanyama celebrating the aftermath of a conference finals elimination of the Thunder. Advances to his first Finals five months after his 22nd birthday. pic.twitter.com/T21ZdAKjaS
"Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream,” he choked out words to reporters after the game. “And having a real shot at it, having tangible chance at winning it, realizing a dream, it’s a lifetime chance. You never know when it’s going to happen again. But the day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day of the realization of a dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
But the center made sure to acknowledge that he isn't reaching the NBA Finals on his own.
"It's an unreal chance. My life is amazing and being with these guys, living these things with these guys that I love so, so, so much, it's amazing," he continued. "I want to have this feeling plenty, plenty more times in my life."
