Chet Holmgren Opens Up About Victor Wembanyama Rivalry

The reigning NBA-champion Oklahoma City Thunder got the best of the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, securing a 127-114 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series.

Late in the first quarter, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama bumped into Thunder big man Chet Holmgren as they walked to their respective benches for a timeout. This tense moment added to the ever-growing rivalry between these two young NBA stars.

After the game, NBA analyst Tracy McGrady asked Holmgren about his rivalry with Wembanyama.

Holmgren deflected, instead choosing to focus on the battle between their two powerhouse teams.

"The way I see it, when you're in it, you have to look at it as Thunder vs. Spurs,” Holmgren replied. “We're trying to win these games. They're trying to win these games. That's how you have to attack it.”

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Holmgren finished Tuesday night’s Game 5 win with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double through 30 minutes of action. Wembanyama put forth his worst effort of the Western Conference Finals so far, recording 20 points and six rebounds on 4/15 shooting from the field and 0/5 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.

Back-to-back reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 32 points and nine assists in the critical Game 5 matchup.

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Game 6 will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night. If Wembanyama and the Spurs are unable to win, the Thunder will punch their ticket to an NBA Finals matchup against the New York Knicks.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 10:30 AM.