Series Context And Player Statistics
The Western Conference Finals context makes the argument more complicated than either side might want. San Antonio beat the defending champion Thunder 111-103 in Game 7.
Wembanyama led the Spurs with 22 points and 7 rebounds and was named series MVP.
Jalen Williams missed multiple games with a hamstring issue, and Ajay Mitchell dealt with a calf problem that removed another key guard from the Thunder rotation.
Those absences mattered because playoff series are often decided by depth, shot creation, and the ability to survive non-star minutes.
Removing two major pieces from Oklahoma City changed the burden on everyone else.
Bayless' framing still leaves room for two ideas to exist together.
The Spurs benefited from Oklahoma City's misfortune, but they also had to close a Game 7 on the road against the defending champions.
Wembanyama's claim was not flawless, and Bayless had a real point about circumstance.
The Finals-bound Spurs still did enough to make sure that random chance was not the only thing people remembered.
