Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals on Monday.

The 22-year-old French phenom forced the second overtime with a clutch three-pointer and scored nine of San Antonio's 14 points in the final extra period. "It was, like, sheer willpower," Wembanyama told NBC after the game.

Wembanyama admitted that watching Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receive his second straight MVP trophy before the game added personal motivation. Wembanyama, who won Defensive Player of the Year, finished third in MVP voting.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the MVP ceremony "100 percent" motivated his star. "He's competitive. If you're a competitor and you see another competitor get rewarded with what you want..." Johnson said.

Rookie Dylan Harper started for injured De'Aaron Fox, scoring 24 points with seven steals. Stephon Castle added 17 points and 11 assists as the Spurs extended their season dominance over the Thunder.

Oklahoma City, which posted a league-best 64 regular-season wins, lost four of five meetings with the Spurs this season. Jalen Williams returned from a six-game absence to score 26 points, but the Thunder couldn't overcome a slow start by Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 24 points.

The series winner will face either the New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Game 2 is Wednesday in Oklahoma City before the series shifts to San Antonio.

Source: www.aljazeera.com