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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Cason Wallace got the call to start Game 1 of the NBA Finals for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, taking the place of Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Thunder had used the same starting five — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein — for each of the 16 games needed to get through the Western Conference playoffs.

At 21 years and seven months, Wallace is the youngest player to start an NBA Finals game since Miami’s Tyler Herro — then about 20 years and 9 months — started for the Heat in their series inside the bubble against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Wallace started 43 games in the regular season for the Thunder. He had ap

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