Oklahoma City Thunder dan San Antonio Spurs Berebut Tiket Final

Pertandingan penentu Game 7 Final Wilayah Barat NBA mempertemukan juara bertahan Oklahoma City Thunder yang menjamu San Antonio Spurs pada Minggu malam waktu setempat di Paycom Center. Laga penentu ini disiarkan langsung oleh stasiun televisi NBC sebagai siaran pamungkas mereka untuk musim kompetisi 2025-2026.

Kedua tim Wilayah Barat ini berhasil mencatatkan 60 kemenangan sepanjang musim reguler. Pemenang dari pertandingan penentu ini sudah ditunggu oleh New York Knicks yang telah memastikan tempat di babak final setelah mencatatkan 11 kemenangan beruntun di fase playoff.

Penyiar NBC Mike Tirico membuka siaran pertandingan dengan menarasikan video montase kilasan pertandingan sebelum diiringi lagu legendaris Tesh berjudul Roundball Rock.

"For eight months and nearly 100 nights, they do the same. They show up to play a game. But tonight is not like the other nights. This is the night you work for when no one else is watching. Tonight, the basketball world is watching to see the next Game Seven moment. So, whose night is it? The back-to-back MVP, stifled in this series, but one last chance to carry his championship club. Or, the one-of-a-kind star from France. At 22, heralded as the future face of the league. But is it his time yet? Someone walks out tonight with their mark on NBA history. This is your one night. You have one shot at Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals." kata Mike Tirico, penyiar pertandingan NBC.

Selain Tirico, Bob Costas juga turut menarasikan video montase lainnya dalam liputan khusus NBC untuk laga penentu tersebut.

"Game Seven. The game that is always decisive. And nearly always dramatic. Throughout the long season, it's been clear that the two best teams in the NBA's Western Conference are the Thunder and the Spurs. The two best teams, led by two of the game's best and most distinctive stars. The back-to-back MVP intent on leading his team to back-to-back titles. And the otherworldly talent intent on taking the storied franchise back to the Finals for the first time in more than a decade. Between them, the Thunder and Spurs have played nearly 200 games this season. And now, it comes down to just one game. One game, Game Seven, on NBC." ujar Bob Costas, narator NBC.

Dilansir dari NPR, pengamat olahraga Howard Bryant menilai performa New York Knicks sangat luar biasa karena mampu membalikkan keadaan setelah sempat tertinggal dari Hawks di putaran pertama.

Di sisi lain, turnamen tenis French Open juga dipastikan melahirkan juara baru di sektor tunggal putra setelah Novak Djokovic gugur dalam laga melawan petenis 19 tahun Joao Fonseca di tengah cuaca panas Paris yang ekstrem, sementara Jannik Sinner juga tersingkir karena faktor cuaca panas tersebut.