Wembanyama and the Spurs force Game 7 against the Thunder, with NBA draft-lottery reform reshaping the long game

The San Antonio Spurs forced a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals after a lopsided 118-91 win in Game 6 at Oklahoma City. The series was tied 3-3, turning the matchup into one decisive night for a spot in the NBA Finals. The through line was Victor Wembanyama, who helped swing the game early and kept the Spurs’ pace high, as San Antonio answered Oklahoma City’s defending and physicality with size, range, and pressure that left the Thunder struggling to find consistent offense.

’s recap of Game 6 emphasized how quickly San Antonio seized control. The Spurs jumped out to a 35-22 first-quarter advantage, then broke the contest open in the third quarter with a 20-0 run that pushed the game beyond reach and forced OKC to play catch-up for the remainder of the night. In a matchup between two of the league’s top regular-season teams, that kind of third-quarter swing is often the difference between extending a series and ending it.

The Game 7 picture changed quickly once the series returned to equilibrium, and by the time the final whistle arrived, San Antonio had completed the comeback from the brink of elimination. In Game 7, the Spurs beat the Thunder 111-103 to win the West and advance to the NBA Finals. The result capped a sequence that began with San Antonio’s ability to avoid going out in Game 6 and ended with the Spurs taking control when the margin for error disappeared.

While the basketball drama played out in OKC, the NBA was also moving on a parallel front: draft lottery rules. On May 28, the NBA Board of Governors approved a new “3-2-1 Lottery” designed to reduce incentives for teams to prioritize draft position over winning. The plan expands the lottery from 14 to 16 teams and “flattens” odds among teams that do not qualify for the playoffs or play-in, while also introducing draft relegation for the teams with the three worst records by removing a lottery ball.

Under the new system, teams will receive three, two, or one lottery balls depending on where they finish among the non-playoff and non-play-in clubs, with additional rules meant to protect competitive balance. The NBA also set pick floors: draft-relegated teams will be able to fall no worse than the No. 12 selection, while other lottery teams can slide as far as No. 16. There are also restrictions intended to curb repeat advantages, including limits on holding the No. 1 pick in consecutive drafts and on top-five selections in three consecutive drafts.

CBS Sports’ breakdown tied those mechanics to real-world consequences, noting that even teams not directly caught in the “worst of the worst” tier could be affected by multi-year restrictions on what happens when top picks are reserved, traded, or re-earned. The broader intent is clear: make it harder for a single season of deliberate losing to translate into a durable pipeline of elite draft capital. Teams still value the lottery, but the reform tries to make the “worst record” approach less rewarding compared with simply building well and winning more games.

Looking ahead, the Spurs’ immediate test is the NBA Finals matchup, and their longer one is whether their youth-driven style can hold up against elite playoff execution. For the league at large, the reform will matter most in seasons that follow, starting with the 2027 NBA Draft, when teams will have to plan roster construction while accounting for the new odds structure, pick floors, and multi-year pick restrictions. The combination of Game 7 stakes and lottery policy is a reminder that the NBA’s present and future are now intertwined more tightly than ever.