Luke Kornet only had a brief cameo during Saturday’s winner-take-all game, but he certainly made the absolute most of it.
The San Antonio Spurs backup center Kornet achieved immortality during the team’s 111-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. In the fourth quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., Kornet entered the game at the 6:48 mark to give a brief break to Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama.
In response, Kornet came up with the play of his life. With the Spurs clinging to a 97-91 lead, Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein picked off a pass and quickly went the other way in transition.
Kornet responded by chasing after Hartenstein at full speed ahead and producing an incredible chasedown block. Here is the video.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME LUKE KORNET???
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026
WILD CHASEDOWN BLOCK IN TRANSITION
THE TYPE OF PLAYS YOU NEED TO WIN A GAME 7. pic.twitter.com/FP5Z4T0LHw
That breathtaking play by Kornet led to everyone saying the same thing over social media. Fans were all in agreement that the block was responsible for the Spurs winning the game (and by extension, the series).
This block by Luke Kornet sent the Spurs to the NBA finals. pic.twitter.com/43pGIbaSvj
— Showtime Luka (@showtimeluka) May 31, 2026
this is the play of the series man, insane block by kornet https://t.co/3KBOxkh5Xb
— (@NotRaphinha11) May 31, 2026
This might be the greatest block in Spurs history pic.twitter.com/ConUbVRYzy
— Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) May 31, 2026
as everyone would have suspected, luke kornet might’ve made the biggest play of the nba season to date https://t.co/NOfRSby8bW
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 31, 2026
The Thunder had all the momentum on their side at the time and were on a 5-0 burst in front of their home crowd at the moment of Hartenstein’s steal. But Kornet immediately put an end to OKC’s run with that emphatic block, and the Spurs regained control of the wheel from there.
Kornet, 30, then subbed out at the 5:49 mark, adding up to a total shift of less than a minute. But in that span, the little-known reserve seven-footer managed to produce the play of the year in the NBA (and he may have some divine intervention to thank for that).
