San Antonio secured their NBA Finals place with a 111-103 Game 7 win over Oklahoma City, built on balance rather than one dominant performance.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 22 points, Julian Champagnie added 20, while even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35 could not keep the Thunder alive.
Yet the decisive swing came from the bench, as Luke Kornet’s defensive play became the moment Manu Ginobili felt changed the whole game.
Manu Ginobili saw Luke Kornet’s block as Game 7 swing
Ginobili posted on X after the win, pointing directly to Kornet’s block on Isaiah Hartenstein as the play that tilted the contest San Antonio’s way.
“This one was the game-winning play! It changed everything! Luuuuuuuuke!” the Spurs great wrote.
The Thunder were pushing to cut the Spurs’ lead to four. A Hartenstein finish would have put real pressure on a young team closing on the road.
Instead, Kornet chased the play down and denied him at the rim, giving San Antonio the jolt needed to finish the job.
Kornet later joked about comparisons with LeBron James’ iconic 2016 Finals block on Andre Iguodala, after someone on the bench shouted: “Who is it? LeBron James?”
“We’ll see which of the two has more staying power in the history books,” the 30-year-old said, enjoying the humour after a huge moment.
The block also changed Kornet’s own storyline. He finished with only two points and went 0-for-3 from the field, which could have framed his night poorly.
Instead, his defensive contribution became the lasting image, proving a reserve can shift Game 7 without filling the box score.
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