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Thunder vs. Spurs predictions: Experts make picks for West Finals showdown

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The most anticipated matchup of the 2026 NBA playoffs has arrived. The reigning champion Thunder will go up against the upstart Spurs in the Western Conference finals. The best-of-seven series begins on Monday, one day after the 2025-26 MVP award is handed out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, the biggest stars on the Thunder and Spurs, are both finalists. 

One of them could very well be handed a trophy at the beginning of the series. But who will be celebrating with hardware at the end of the series? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

The Thunder, a perfect 8-0 through two rounds of these playoffs, are the favorites (-260 at FanDuel) to win this series and return to the NBA Finals. But the Spurs, who finished off the Timberwolves in the second round on Friday night, had OKC’s number throughout the regular season.

Can Wemby and the Spurs pull off the upset? Or will the Thunder take another major step toward becoming the first back-to-back title winner in the NBA since 2018?

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Thunder vs. Spurs predictions: WCF expert picks

Botkin: Spurs in 7. This series could come down to the handful of minutes that Victor Wembanyama goes to the bench. We saw the Timberwolves start attacking the rim, successfully, the second that happened, and OKC is all about paint and rim pressure. But Wemby should be playing 40-plus every night in this series, so they’re either going to have to score against the guy basically nobody can score against or make a lot of jumpers. In a shooting contest, I like the Spurs. Yes, San Antonio is going to have to deal with a level of physicality it has not seen in these playoffs. It could stun them initially. But at the end of the day, I’m betting on the Wemby effect to trump all other factors in this series. He’s the defensive version of 2014-15 Stephen Curry in the way he warps the geometry of the court. Because of that, those Warriors were ready to win it all before people were ready to accept that fact, without the years of “playoff bruises” everyone thinks you need to endure first, and San Antonio is going to win not only this series but the whole damn thing for the same reason.

Gonzalez: Thunder in 7. This is the one we’ve all been waiting for: the best two teams during the regular season led by two of the three MVP finalists. Apologies to whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference, but this might as well be the Finals proper. Nobody who gets out of the other side of the bracket is beating either of these teams. The Spurs won 4 of 5 against the Thunder this season — as Wemby is fond of mentioning — but as San Antonio surely knows that’s an entirely different proposition than beating the defending champs in the playoffs. Especially with OKC having home-court advantage, a place where the Thunder have lost just seven times all season. Jalen Williams is ready to return for the Thunder, adding more top-line talent to a team that’s already absurdly deep. SGA barely had to break a sweat in the second round against the Lakers. He’ll obviously have to work a lot harder against the Spurs. But as good as San Antonio is, there’s still a postseason experience gap between the Spurs and the Thunder. That counts for something here.

Herbert: Thunder in 7. That I’m predicting this will go seven is a testament to how awesome the Spurs have been. The Thunder are a true juggernaut of a team, deeper and more versatile and more physically imposing than most championship teams. And based on what we saw in the regular season, San Antonio really could take them down. The Spurs’ guards are capable of making OKC’s historically stingy defense look inadequate. Victor Wembanyama is capable of anything. I just think the Thunder have a bit more room for error, especially with Jalen Williams healthy again.

Maloney: Thunder in 7. Everyone has been looking forward to this series for months, and hopefully the wait will be worth it after a somewhat lackluster postseason thus far. The Spurs, as we’ve noted, went 4-1 against the Thunder during the regular season, and Victor Wembanyama’s presence causes real problems for how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. like to operate. But the playoffs are not the regular season, and I’m picking the Thunder to advance in a narrow seven-game series for multiple reasons: their championship experience, their superior depth, their home-court advantage and the extra rest they’ve gotten all postseason after two consecutive sweeps.

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Quinn: Thunder in 7. No team vexes Oklahoma City quite like San Antonio. So much of the Thunder offense hinges on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rim pressure, and no player shuts opponents off at the rim quite like Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs won four of the five regular-season matchups. Both teams still have cards left to play. We don’t even really know how good the Thunder actually are yet, but with Jalen Williams set to return for this series, they might be about to level up. Would Oklahoma City juice its offense by keeping Ajay Mitchell in the starting five over Lu Dort when Williams comes back? Are the Spurs willing to start Dylan Harper? Their go-to “we’re getting serious” move in the old days was starting Manu Ginobili in a big playoff game, and Harper is quite clearly among their best five players. I’m leaning Oklahoma City for a few reasons. I don’t find San Antonio’s recent 3-point shooting all that sustainable. I think the Thunder are the only team in the NBA with the defensive athleticism to contain these guards. The Thunder have home-court advantage. And Oklahoma City has been here before, and I’m not sure the Spurs are quite ready for the level of physicality they’re about to endure. This is anyone’s series, and whoever takes it will be heavily favored in the Finals.

Salerno: Thunder in 6. This matchup reminds me of the Seahawks vs. Rams NFC Championship Game earlier this year. The Thunder and Spurs are the two best teams in the NBA, and the winner of this series will be the favorite in the NBA Finals — just like the Seahawks were the consensus favorite in the Super Bowl vs. the Patriots. I can’t pick against the Thunder. OKC has been dominating without Jalen Williams in the lineup. Ajay Mitchell is turning into a legit star in Williams’ absence. OKC’s physicality will be the difference here. One subplot of this series is that Victor Wembanyama will likely have to watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receive the MVP trophy. Drama! Give me OKC in 6.

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Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles Tips, Odds, Teams & Predictions – NRL Round 16 2026

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Accor Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 16 NRL game between Canterbury Bulldogs and
Manly Sea Eagles. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Manly Sea Eagles heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canterbury Bulldogs vs.
Manly Sea Eagles
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday June 20, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Accor Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

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Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles Odds

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles Preview

Saturday night’s clash at Accor Stadium shapes as an intriguing contest between two sides with finals aspirations. Manly will be buoyed by the return of Tom Trbojevic, whose influence in attack remains among the most significant in the NRL. The Sea Eagles have shown encouraging signs in recent weeks, particularly down their left edge, and Trbojevic’s playmaking ability adds another layer to an already dangerous attack. Canterbury, meanwhile, continues to show signs of improvement despite inconsistent results. The Bulldogs have been building steadily throughout the season and remain capable of troubling more fancied opponents when their defence holds firm. With both teams eyeing a strong finish to the year, this shapes as an important encounter in the race for finals positions.

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Manly Sea Eagles Teams

Bulldogs team: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Enari Tuala 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Kurt Mann 10. Leo Thompson 11. Sitili Tupouniua 12. Jaeman Salmon 13. Harry Hayes 14. Bailey Hayward 15. Jed Reardon 16. Jack Underhill 17. Josh Curran 19. Jethro Rinakama 20. Logan Spinks 21. Lipoi Hopoi 22. Alex Conti 23. Alekolasimi Jones

Sea Eagles team: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Tolutau Koula 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Luke Brooks 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Brandon Wakeham 10. Kobe Hetherington 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Nathan Brown 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Simione Laiafi 18. Josh Feledy 19. Joey Walsh 20. Hugo Hart 21. Blake Wilson 22. Jackson Shereb

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Harry Kane reveals what Thomas Tuchel said to England players at half-time: ‘If we lose, we lose’

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Harry Kane revealed what England manager Thomas Tuchel said to his players at half-time of the World Cup win against Croatia on Wednesday.

England were pegged back twice in the first-half in Dallas, with Tuchel’s assistant Anthony Barry criticising the players in an interview with ITV at half-time, describing their display as “complicated and confusing.”

Yet the Three Lions came out in the second-half a team reinvigorated. Jude Bellingham put them back in front with a wonderful solo goal and Tuchel’s side could have been out of sight if it wasn’t for the brilliance of Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

But Marcus Rashford made sure of all three points with his well-taken goal five minutes from time and Kane, who went level with Gary Lineker as England’s all-time goalscorer at World Cups, explained that Tuchel told his players their philosophy must change.

“The manager gave a speech,” Kane said. “He just said: ‘If we lose, we lose, we lose in our way.’

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“Without the ball, we went a bit more aggressive. In the second-half, we thought we just go. The intensity we went at, we have to do that more this tournament.

Asked if that was the framework for the rest of the World Cup, Kane said: “That second-half, for sure. Even the way we controlled the game, even when we went ahead, never looked like we were in danger.

“We had a spell there, first 20 minutes [of second-half] where we could have scored three or four. You can see the desire from Jude [Bellingham] in training, the competition we have in the place is high level, whoever plays is ready.”

Speaking to ITV after the game, Bellingham added: “The second-half especially, we showed what we were about, the team we want to be was shown. The first-half we were a bit nervy and cagey. But second-half was the platform.”

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Jude Bellingham scored England’s third in the win against Croatia after Harry Kane’s first-half double
Jude Bellingham scored England’s third in the win against Croatia after Harry Kane’s first-half double (Getty)

On Tuchel’s ‘speech’ at half-time, Bellingham said: “It wasn’t one of those where it was a big drama or shouting, it was just what the team needed. Everyone knew the level we needed to hit, the early goal gave us a good platform.

“Credit to the manager and his staff, they’ve put us the best place possible.”

Tuchel himself also spoke on what he told his players at the interval, saying: “I was sitting down with the players. I gave them quiet time for themselves, told them to calm down having just conceded a goal.

“To calm down, calm their nerves, and encourage them to do it our way.

“I told them that my perception of them and of the last 17 days, will not change with this result, no matter what the result is. But I want them to do it their way, our way.

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“I want them to be brave, courageous, intense, and on the front foot, and do it together and just go for it, and try to take it, and be active.

“I encourage them with words, which was short, was calm and, yeah, if they say it helped, even better”.

England next face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday and a win will qualify Tuchel’s side for the knockout phase.

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How to solve Shrine of Life #5 Ice Puzzle

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The Adventures of Elliot’s Shrine of Life #5 features one of the game’s more potentially frustrating puzzles: An Ice Puzzle. Your reward is great though, because it’s a Shard of Life. For each 4 Shards of Life you receive, you gain another point of health, similarly to how you would in The Legend of Zelda. The Shrine of Life puzzles vary, with some of them simply being enemy gauntlets, and others being tricky puzzles.

This one requires you to slip and slide around on the ice, and push blocks of ice into red switches, to claim the reward. If you’re struggling or simply want to know the solution to the Shrine of Life #5 in The Adventures of Elliot, here’s what you need to know.

Note: The video footage in this guide contains spoilers for The Adventures of Elliot.


How to complete sliding Ice Puzzle in The Adventures of Elliot’s Shrine of Life #5

The Adventures of Elliot’s Shrine of Life #5 and its Ice Puzzle are found in the Age of Safekeeping, via Secret Shortcut #3. You can find its location in the image below. It’s a very short cave, and it drops you right off at the Shrine of Life #5. It’s something you can pick up pretty early, as well.

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Here's the path to the actual Shrine of Life (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)Here's the path to the actual Shrine of Life (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)
Here’s the path to the actual Shrine of Life (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)

Just follow the route in the image above, and you’ll see the caves you need to traverse, if you’re looking for a free Shard of Life. In addition, we’ve shown the solution to the puzzle, if you want to see it in action.

youtube-cover

(Solution begins at 2:49)

This is how we've numbered the Ice Cubes, for the explanation below (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)This is how we've numbered the Ice Cubes, for the explanation below (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)
This is how we’ve numbered the Ice Cubes, for the explanation below (Image via Square Enix || Sportskeeda)

We’ve labeled the ice cubes for The Adventures of Elliot’s Shrine of Life #5, with 1, 2, and 3, for easy navigation. Just follow the path below, and you’ll be able to secure your Shard of Life, and be ready to move on to other challenges and bosses. If you don’t want to slip around, I recommend buying the Expeardient Charm from the local shop, and equipping it.

Order of operations

  • Ice Cube #2: Push Right, Up, Right, Up, Lef t, Up, Left, Down
  • Ice Cube #1: Push Left, Up, Left, Down, Right, Down, Left, Up, Left, Up, Left, Down
  • Ice Cube #3: Push Down, Left
  • Ice Cube #1: Left, Down, Right, Up, Right, Up, Left
  • Ice Cube #3: Up, Left, Up, Right, Down

This isn’t likely the only solution to the Ice Cube Puzzle, but this is the solution we came up with, after venturing into the icy Shrine of Life. Once you’ve hit all four red switches, the door will open. Walk through, grab your reward, and you can move on with the game.


The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales is an epic Square Enix RPG on the Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. To learn more about this game, you can read our in-depth review.

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