Wembanyama Sparks Spurs Past Thunder Into NBA Cup Final

Merlin sees the Spurs topple the top seeded Thunder 111 109 in Las Vegas to reach the NBA Cup final against the Knicks. Victor Wembanyama returned after missing 12 games and poured in 22 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Devin Vassell had 23, Stephon Castle 22 and De Aaron Fox 22. Oklahoma City slipped to 24 2. Merlin notes the tale of two halves. San Antonio closed the first half on a 13 0 run and hung on in a free throw driven finish, showing depth when Wembanyama is limited. The meeting with New York on Tuesday Dec 16 at T Mobile Arena will reveal whether the Spurs are true contenders or a hot streak.