Sports
Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Ohio State, Notre Dame can give first 12-team Playoff storybook ending
ARLINGTON, Texas — And now, 15 thoughts from Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 and Ohio State 28, Texas 14 — two much-needed, much-enjoyed fourth-quarter finishes in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
1. The camera operators for the mammoth video board at AT&T Stadium love their crowd shots. There were several between every play. Friday night’s Ohio State-Texas Cotton Bowl provided them with an endless supply of dudes in Buckeyes jerseys flashing the Block O and women in cowboy boots giving the Hook ’Em sign.
When Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer stripped Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, picked up the ball and returned it for a game-sealing 83-yard touchdown, that board morphed into a long montage of euphoric Buckeyes fans mixed with Longhorn surrender cobras. Moments earlier, No. 5 seed Texas was at the 1-yard line, possibly about to send this Playoff semifinal to overtime. Now, with one remarkable play, No. 8 seed Ohio State was on its way to Atlanta.
A pair of dramatic semifinals on back-to-back nights give us a Jan. 20 clash between the Buckeyes and No. 7 seed Notre Dame in the first all-Midwest national championship game since … well, ever.
JACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE 😱
Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship! pic.twitter.com/BPoV5FBRGZ
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
2. I knew the first 12-team Playoff would be compelling. I underestimated the extent.
In the old days, the four-team field was announced in early December, then the teams went into hibernation for a month. They finally came back for New Year’s to play a pair of semifinals that were sometimes great but sometimes anticlimactic.
This year, by the time the teams got to the semis, we’d been invested in their stories for weeks. Like following an Olympic swimmer on his quest for gold, we became Jeremiyah Love fans with his 98-yard touchdown against Indiana and marveled when he trucked four Penn State defenders on a 2-yard touchdown. We turned on that Dec. 21 Tennessee-Ohio State game not knowing whether the Buckeyes still had a pulse post-Michigan. Three wins later, they’re on the brink of a national championship.
Ohio State and Notre Dame will be playing for the third consecutive season, and yet this feels like an entirely fresh matchup. So much has happened since then. Perhaps Lou Holtz will perform the coin toss.
GO DEEPER
CFP national championship first look: What to expect from Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
3. Generational freshman Jeremiah Smith had a combined 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns through the Buckeyes’ first two Playoff games. The story of the Cotton Bowl figured to be whether Texas’s talented defense could slow him down. The Horns did, holding Smith to one first-quarter catch for 3 yards.
From start to finish, Texas made Ohio State earn this one. The Longhorns gave up one home run play, TreVeyon Henderson’s 75-yard catch and run touchdown to go up 14-7 in the second quarter. But the Buckeyes, which did themselves no favors with penalties, punted on four straight first-half possessions and did not score in the third quarter, which began with quarterback Will Howard throwing a pick.
But come the fourth quarter, Howard and the Buckeyes showed they’re not all 50-yard TDs. They took over on their 12-yard line with 14:47 left and spent the next 7:45 grinding out an 88-yard drive. Facing a fourth-and-2 at the Texas 34, Howard kept on a delayed draw and ran 18 yards toward the end zone (before slipping). The drive culminated in a Quinshon Judkins 1-yard TD. Obviously, the game was far from over, but it was an important moment. They’ll need more drives like it against an even stingier Notre Dame defense.
4. Fittingly, though, the Buckeyes sealed their victory with a huge defensive play by one of their veteran stalwarts in Sawyer. For all the star power on the other side of the ball, Ohio State’s defense has been its constant, behind the likes of Sawyer, bookend JT Tuimoloau (1.5 sacks) and linebacker Cody Simon (nine tackles, three TFLs). It wasn’t flawless. Ewers, under heavy pressure most of the night, still threw for 287 yards and two TDs, one being a game-tying 26-yard throw to Jaydon Blue. And after falling behind 21-14, Texas drove from its own 25 to the Buckeyes’ 1 with three minutes left.
But then Lathan Ransom snuffed out a second-down toss to Quintrevion Wisner for a 7-yard loss, Sawyer forced an incompletion on third-and-goal and then … you saw it.
GO DEEPER
Nobody is more Ohio State than Jack Sawyer. The Cotton Bowl’s defining play had to be his
5. Day is one win away from completing a world-record turnaround from the most hated man in Ohio to its conquering hero. His former rival, Jim Harbaugh, went from having to take a pay cut to winning the first of three straight Big Ten titles in 2021. The guy Day is about to face again, Freeman, was able to erase the stench of that loss to Northern Illinois throughout this season. But Day has pulled this off in the span of four games. Ohio State fans may never forgive him for the Michigan losses, even with a trophy, and they’ll certainly be disappointed if the Buckeyes fall short next Monday.
But no one could possibly say the guy doesn’t know what he’s doing/has been riding Urban Meyer’s coattails/can’t win the big one, etc. The SEC has been the country’s measuring stick for 18 years, and Day’s team defeated two of that league’s top-three teams since Dec. 21. In between, it walloped the No. 1 team in the country. Give the man his flowers.
6. America’s most popular backup quarterback, Arch Manning, got in for one play, a fourth-and-1 at midfield in the second quarter, and promptly ran for 8 yards on a keeper. Much to the chagrin of some Horns fans, he came right back out.
Ewers, who presumably played his last game in a Texas uniform (whether he turns pro or enters the portal), should be nothing but commended for what he did in three seasons at Texas. He led a program that had been down for nearly 15 years to a Big 12 title, an SEC title game and back-to-back Playoffs. He saved the day against Arizona State in the quarterfinals, and, for the second year in a row, had the Horns on the cusp of a semifinal victory (last year Texas lost close to Washington) but couldn’t quite get there. He went 21-5 as the starter over the past two seasons.
He wasn’t Vince Young or Colt McCoy. But he was the face of the program’s best two-year run since those guys played.
A 41-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter sealed Notre Dame’s 27-24 win against Penn State in the CFP semifinals.(Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
7. In 2012, when Notre Dame last reached a national championship game, the 12-0 Irish wrapped up their berth on Nov. 24. It would be 44 days before they played again in their infamous 42-14 flop against Alabama. The stigma from that game fed the notion that Notre Dame had a free pass to the BCS/CFP by not playing a 13th game. It lingered for so long that Penn State’s James Franklin inexplicably pulled the “everyone should be in a conference” card just days before facing the independent Irish in a semifinal game.
Thanks to the 12-team format, Notre Dame got to definitively prove it belongs in the natty. Even if it loses 55-0 to Ohio State (it won’t), Notre Dame had to play 15 games to get there, culminating with three top-10 teams in a row, including SEC champion Georgia and 13-game winner Penn State.
If, after all that, you’re still hung up on “but they lost to NIU four months ago,” congrats on becoming the real-life Debbie Downer character from “Saturday Night Live.”
8. My colleague Ralph Russo wrote this week about how Marcus Freeman did the unthinkable and made the Irish likable. Watching their last-second 27-24 semifinal win, I saw his point. This Notre Dame team is not some little engine that could (the Fighting Irish closed as one-point underdogs against the Nittany Lions) but they have a lot of feel-good components. The boyish-looking head coach who initially seemed in over his head. An unfathomable Week 2 loss to NIU that could have crushed them. Injuries. Thirty-plus years of “can’t win the big one.” And more injuries — like quarterback Riley Leonard briefly getting knocked out Thursday night.
But they’ve also got a bunch of badasses. Like Love barreling through four defenders to reach the end zone. Or receiver Jaden Greathouse making two different DBs fall on his 54-yard TD catch. Or linebacker Jack Kiser grabbing an acrobatic interception that would have saved a touchdown if not for a phantom pass-interference call.
And yet, even with all that going for them, the game was very much in doubt until …
9. Drew Allar has carried the weight of savior status since arriving at Penn State. The junior led his team to 13 wins this season. But when he met his biggest moment yet, with 33 seconds left in a tie game, he did the unforgivable and threw over the middle under duress. Notre Dame’s Christian Gray intercepted it, giving Leonard the chance to set up Mitch Jeter’s game-winning 41-yard field goal. (Props to Leonard on that third-and-3 dart to Greathouse.) Allar owned it in his postgame news conference, during which Franklin could be seen trying to cheer him up.
Franklin’s infamous top-five record dropped to 1-15 at Penn State, but there was no in-game decision to blame the coach for on this night. He has, however, let his star QB down.
GO DEEPER
Brian Kelly is Thursday’s big loser and will have to watch Notre Dame play for a title
10. It’s inconceivable how a team could win 13 games and reach the CFP semifinals with such a desolate receiver room. Not one of Allar’s 12 completions Thursday went to a wide receiver. Star tight end Tyler Warren and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen did their usual things, but receivers Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans were MIA. Franklin tried to plug the hole when he landed Ohio State’s Julian Fleming, a former top-five recruit, but he barely contributed.
Whatever money Penn State’s NIL collective had to spend to keep Allar in State College for another year, it better have enough left over to go on a wide receiver shopping spree.
In the meantime, here’s one parting salute to Warren, who finished the 2024 season with 104 catches (tied for second nationally) for 1,233 yards (sixth) and eight TDs. Those are impressive numbers for any pass-catcher, much less a tight end. For perspective, Georgia’s Brock Bowers, himself an all-timer, topped out at 63 catches.
11. While Franklin still has not shed his big-game rep, Penn State hasn’t come this close to a national championship since 2005, when it finished No. 3. If you’re a Nittany Lions fan who’s been living in “almost” mode for the past decade, you should feel more optimistic today than at any point since at least the Saquon Barkley era. But Franklin will remain polarizing. According to my colleague Pete Sampson, Freeman was ticked at Franklin after their pregame news conference, when the Penn State coach joked about the 39-year-old’s youth. “All the anger went toward us and that anger went onto the field,” said Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.
Penn State: Now less likable than Notre Dame.
GO DEEPER
Notre Dame used everything to beat Penn State. Did James Franklin provide extra juice?
12. Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli played just one series after Leonard went out shortly before halftime, but it was a big one. The Irish trailed 10-0 and had shown little life on offense. Angeli took over at his own 40 and completed his first four passes, and 6-of-7 on the drive. He took two sacks, the second by Abdul Carter, ending any chance of a touchdown. But the Irish got three points, and more importantly, went into the half on a positive note. When Leonard returned for the second half, Notre Dame — which holds a ridiculous 155-10 edge in the “middle eight” this season — promptly drove for a game-tying touchdown.
Who knows if it ever gets to that point if Angeli hadn’t lived up to the moment?
13. I’ve now lived through a quarter-century of “Will THIS be the thing that forces Notre Dame to join a conference?” The most recent edition was the 12-team wrinkle where the Irish can never earn a first-round bye. Well, it took one season to prove this is in fact an ideal system for them.
In the four-team CFP, it was assumed Notre Dame would have to go undefeated to make it, as it did in 2018 and 2020, and sure enough, this year’s 11-1 team finished No. 5. No, they don’t get a bye, but they had the same amount of time off as first-round opponent Indiana. And perhaps most importantly, Notre Dame earned the maximum $20 million in payouts from the CFP for reaching the title game. Unlike schools in most conferences, they don’t have to share any of it.
The school arguably has less incentive today to join a conference than it did when it first struck its NBC deal 34 years ago.
14. Here’s another thing I was wrong about: Both the Orange and Cotton Bowls were packed. It did not matter that the Miami Gardens game was played on a Thursday in the first full work week of the year. Notre Dame and Penn State fans figured it out and filled Hard Rock Stadium. Even a snowstorm in the Dallas area that caused more than 1,000 canceled flights the day before the Cotton Bowl did not stop Ohio State fans from occupying roughly 45 percent of AT&T Stadium, and Texas fans the rest. (The official attendance of 74,527 was about 5,000 short of a sellout but empties were hardly noticeable.)
I should know better by this point: College football fans always find a way.
15. Finally, CFP and ESPN officials must be giddy beyond belief at the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup. The former is the biggest TV draw in the sport, and the other the most prestigious brand. As I said off the top, people will have been following their respective stories for a month by the time we get to Jan. 20.
The CFP TV record for a national championship was 33.4 million for Ohio State-Oregon in 2014. That’s … a lot. By comparison, last year’s Michigan-Washington game drew 25 million. My guess is this one falls somewhere between the two.
But I’ve underestimated a lot of things throughout this CFP — including both Ohio State and Notre Dame.
(Top photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
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We’re approaching the biggest sporting event North America has ever hosted.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across the USA, Canada and Mexico in 13 days.
Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the global spectacle, which will kick off on June 11. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
After the World Cup groups were announced in December, Spain opened as the favorite at +450, followed by England (+550) and France (+750).
Now, with less than two weeks to go, Spain has slightly drifted to +475, with both France and England making up ground on the oddsboard.
Let’s dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29.
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2026 World Cup winner odds
Spain: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.5 total)
France: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Brazil: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Portugal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Germany: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Netherlands: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Norway: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Morocco: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Uruguay: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
United States: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Switzerland: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Japan: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Mexico: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Croatia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ecuador: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Senegal: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Sweden: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
HOST NATIONS
United States
The United States is led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards, with several players competing in Europe’s top leagues. The U.S. has appeared in 11 previous World Cups, with its best finish coming in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals.
Canada
Canada’s key players include Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, giving the squad top-tier pace and goal-scoring ability. Canada has made two previous World Cup appearances, and is still looking for its first win ever in the tournament.
Mexico
Mexico’s top contributors include Raul Giménez and Edson Álvarez, forming a strong mix of attacking talent and midfield stability. Mexico has played in 17 previous World Cups and reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986.
UEFA TEAMS TO KNOW
Spain
Spain’s top talents include Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, forming a core that blends elite playmaking with scoring depth. Spain has appeared in 16 previous World Cups and won the tournament once, lifting the trophy in 2010. The team also won the 2024 Euros.
France
France enters with Kylian Mbappé as the star player, with the 26-year-old just five goals shy of passing Miroslav Klose (16) for the most career goals at the World Cup. France has made 16 previous World Cup appearances and won the title twice, in 1998 and 2018.
England
England’s key players include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, forming one of the nation’s strongest generations in decades. England has reached 16 previous World Cups and won the trophy once, in 1966.
Germany
Germany features Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich as central figures in a talented squad. Germany has participated in 20 previous World Cups and won four titles, most recently in 2014.
Portugal
Portugal’s top group includes Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, with Cristiano Ronaldo still involved as the team’s all-time leading scorer and cap leader. Portugal has competed in eight previous World Cups and recorded its best finish in 2006, reaching the semifinals.
Netherlands
The Netherlands features top players such as Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries, forming a core built around elite defending and midfield control. Memphis Depay should also be on the team, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Netherlands has appeared in 11 previous World Cups and finished as runner-up three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
CONMEBOL TEAMS TO KNOW
Argentina
Argentina is anchored by Lionel Messi, with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez— headlining one of the most talented rosters in the tournament. Argentina has played in 18 previous World Cups and won three, including the most recent tournament in 2022.
Brazil
Brazil’s roster is led by Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Marquinhos, giving the team elite attacking and defensive quality. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and holds a record five titles, with its most recent one coming in 2002.
Uruguay
Uruguay’s leading players include Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, forming a core with elite midfield range and speed. Uruguay has appeared in 14 previous World Cups and won the tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950.
Colombia
Colombia is headlined by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, with the former playing for Bayern Munich and the latter having a decorated World Cup résumé. Colombia has made six previous World Cupsand recorded its best finish in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals.
CAF TEAMS TO KNOW
Morocco
Morocco’s key contributors include Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazaroui and Brahm Díaz, each with major European club experience. Morocco has appeared in six previous World Cups and achieved its historic best finish in 2022, reaching the semifinals.
Senegal
Senegal’s top players include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, forming one of Africa’s most experienced cores. Senegal has appeared in three World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Ghana
Ghana is led by Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams, giving the squad strong playmaking and midfield presence. Ghana has competed in four previous World Cups and reached its best result in 2010, making the quarterfinals.
AFC TEAMS TO KNOW
South Korea
South Korea is headlined by Son Heung-min, supported by key players such as Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in. South Korea has played in 11 previous World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the semifinals as co-host.
Japan
Japan features Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma as its leading players, blending top European experience with emerging talent. Japan has appeared in seven previous World Cups and reached the Round of 16 four times, its best result to date.
Australia
Australia’s top players include Jackson Irvine and keeper Mathew Ryan as its most experienced members. Australia has competed in six previous World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, in 2006 and 2022.
OFC TEAMS TO KNOW
New Zealand
New Zealand is led by all-time leading scorer Chris Wood, with 45 international goals to his name. New Zealand has appeared in two previous World Cups (1982, 2010), and did not advance from the group stage in either appearance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
Last week, a lawyer representing the two-time reigning NBA MVP sent a cease-and-desist letter to sports prediction market and fantasy sports company Underdog that includes a demand for the destruction of all copies of the cheeky and extremely limited-edition game Unethical Hoops.
Done in the style of the children’s classic Operation, Unethical Hoops requires players to use tweezers to pull objects from tiny holes, with the slightest touch of a metal border setting off a buzzer indicating failure.
Instead of pretending to be doctors attempting to remove body parts from a patient, however, Unethical Hoops players act as members of an opposing basketball team trying to take the ball from a cartoon character who very much resembles Gilgeous-Alexander.
In this game, the buzzer represents the whistle of a foul-calling referee.
“Shai has made hoops all about foul baiting and now you’re stuck guarding him in Underdog’s new board game,” a description reads on the game’s website. “Don’t get baited. Steal the ball without getting whistled.”
In a letter dated May 22, attorney Eric Fishman of ArentFox Schiff LLP demanded that Underdog “immediately and permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website)… and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”
The notice also calls for Underdog to “immediately destroy all physical goods or advertisements that use Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL, including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website,” as well as a promise never to use the star player’s name, image or likeness without his permission.
Fishman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.
According to the Unethical Hoops website, which remains active more than a week after the date on the cease-and-desist order, only 100 copies of the game were made, to be given away to Underdog users. The giveaway ended as scheduled on Friday.
Underdog declined to comment on the matter other than to point out that the company has pulled comical stunts at the expense of members of the sports world.
“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson said via email. “We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is a four-time All-Star who led the league in scoring last season (2,484 points) and was second in scoring this season (2,117). He led the Thunder to their first NBA title last year and has them back in the Western Conference finals this year (the decisive Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs is Saturday in Oklahoma City).
While one of the NBA’s biggest stars, Gilgeous-Alexander is often criticized for the number of favorable foul calls he receives — he has ranked second or third in the league for number of free throw attempts per game in each of the last four seasons and is currently second among all players in the 2026 playoffs with 9.8 a game — and the lengths he appears to go to in order to receive them.
After Game 2 against the Spurs, one NBA fan account on X wrote, “Shai flopped on every single shot attempt” and posted a video that showed seven such examples (Gilgeous-Alexander actually attempted 24 shots that night). The post has been viewed 22.7 million times.
Earlier this week, prior to Game 6 of the conference finals, another fan account on X posted a video “ranking all 44 times SGA fell on the floor while shooting during the 2026 playoffs from least to most egregious.” That post has been viewed 1.3 million times.
As the cartoon likeness of Gilgeous-Alexander states in the Unethical Hoops ad, “so much as breathe on me, I’m getting the call.”
The real-life SGA was asked during a TV interview after Game 3 in San Antonio about the “flopper!” chants that rained down on him at Frost Bank Center.
“It’s part of the game,” he said. “It’s nothing. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”
Sports
Spurs blow out Thunder, force Game 7 as Victor Wembanyama leads the way with 28-point double-double
Trump says he thinks he’ll attend NBA Finals game
President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he believes he will attend an NBA Finals game next week, as the New York Knicks make their first Finals appearance in nearly 30 years.
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The Western Conference Finals will come down to a Game 7 after the San Antonio Spurs routed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 118-91, in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Game 7 heads back to Oklahoma City, where the winner will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals after New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
With their backs against the wall, the Spurs did what was necessary on their home court and then some. And it was their phenom, Victor Wembanyama, leading the way.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The 7-foot-4 big man led the Spurs with 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including four three-pointers made, while notching a double-double with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks.
This was the performance head coach Mitch Johnson and the rest of the team needed from Wembanyama, and he was up for the challenge as the Thunder were looking to make it back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
Instead, the Thunder’s three-point shooting woes returned in San Antonio, much like they did in Game 4 of this series. They took a whopping 40 threes, but only cashed in 10 of them, finishing 25% from beyond the arc on the night.
SPURS SNAP THUNDER’S PLAYOFF WIN STREAK BEHIND VICTORY WEMBANYAMA’S INCREDIBLE GAME 1 PERFORMANCE
As a team, the Thunder shot just 37%, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the culprits for the poor shooting night. He had just 15 points, going 6-of-18 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point land. Lu Dort was also ice cold from three, going just 1-of-9 and 2-of-11 for the game.
Meanwhile, San Antonio was getting more than just “Wemby” contributions, especially from rookie Dylan Harper, who played a vital role in the blowout off the bench.
Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 28, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Harper was quite efficient when he had the ball in his hands, going 6-of-9 from the field for 18 points, while tallying six rebounds and four assists in his pivotal 22 minutes off the pine.
And in the starting five, Stephon Castle was getting to the rim like he’s supposed to, scoring 17 points while dishing out nine assists for the Spurs. Devin Vassell also hit four of his seven three-point shots for 12 points, while Julian Champagnie poured in 10 more with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks on the other end of the hardwood.
The Spurs saw 12 different players contribute on the scoreboard in this contest, some of whom made their way into the game when the Thunder conceded and already started to focus on Game 7. And that swing came in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Thunder, 32-13, and started to run away with this must-win game for their franchise.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of Game 6 in the Western Conference finals NBA playoffs in San Antonio on May 28, 2026. (David J. Phillip/AP)
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Now, folks, it all comes down to the ever-suspenseful Game 7, where the Thunder will hope one last home game will give them the juice to push their way into the Finals.
But the Spurs are hoping to recreate 1999 by earning a matchup with the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
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