Thunder Thought They Were Going to the Finals... Then a 7-Foot-4 French Alien Hit the "Not So Fast, My Friend" Button

The Oklahoma City Thunder walked into Game 6 thinking they were one win away from the NBA Finals. Three hours later, they were getting escorted to Game 7 by a French alien who looks like he was built in a laboratory underneath the Spurs arena.

Victor Wembanyama dominated with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs steamrolled the defending champions 118-91 Thursday night, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.

And if you missed the game, don't worry. So did the Thunder's offense for about eight minutes in the third quarter. Seriously. Eight minutes without scoring in a Western Conference Finals game is the basketball equivalent of showing up to a job interview wearing a bathrobe and flip-flops.

The Thunder had a golden opportunity to close out the series and book a trip to the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Instead, Wembanyama showed up like a 7-foot-4 IRS agent and conducted a full audit of Oklahoma City's championship hopes.

The final score says 118-91, but the actual beating felt worse.

Wembanyama came out firing, knocking down his first two three-pointers and immediately setting the tone. Every time Oklahoma City looked ready to make a run, there he was waiting to block a shot, grab a rebound, or remind everyone why he's quickly becoming the most terrifying matchup in basketball.

At this point, I'm convinced Wembanyama isn't human. He's what happens when NBA 2K glitches and accidentally creates a player with every attribute set to 99.

The biggest turning point came in the third quarter when Oklahoma City's offense completely disappeared. The Thunder went scoreless for eight straight minutes while the Spurs ripped off a devastating 22-0 run that turned a competitive game into a basketball crime scene.

In other words, I've seen people assemble IKEA furniture faster than Oklahoma City scored during that stretch. I've seen DMV lines move faster. I've even seen people explain cryptocurrency faster.

The Spurs weren't just beating the Thunder. They were changing their mailing address. Dylan Harper added 18 points, Stephon Castle chipped in 17, and Devin Vassell provided energy on both ends as San Antonio played with the urgency of a team that knew its season was hanging by a thread.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander never found a rhythm. The Thunder's superstar finished with 15 points on 6-for-18 shooting as San Antonio's defense made life miserable all night long.

Every drive had traffic.

Every shot had a hand in his face.

Every possession felt like the Spurs had six defenders on the floor.

Now everything comes down to Game 7, and all the pressure is sitting squarely on Oklahoma City's shoulders.

They're the defending champions.

They're playing at home.

They're the favorites.

They're supposed to win.

But here's the problem: Victor Wembanyama keeps looking more comfortable the bigger the stage gets. That's usually how horror movies start.

The Spurs have already proven they can beat Oklahoma City. They've done it three times in this series. If Wembanyama plays like the best player on the floor again Saturday night, nobody should be shocked if San Antonio completes the upset.

For the Thunder, the formula is simple: Shai has to be better, their offense has to stop disappearing for entire quarters, and they need to remember that Game 7 isn't won on paper. Instead, it's won by the team that handles pressure.

In truth, one team is heading to the NBA Finals to face the Knicks. The other team is heading home for the summer with a million questions and no good answers.

After six games of complete chaos, one thing is clear: Nobody knows what's about to happen in Game 7, and that's exactly why it's going to be must-see television once again.