A violent tornado hit the Thunder. A tornado that took the form of a ironclad defense and relentless aggressiveness from the Spurs. San Antonio revived the Western Conference finals: the victory (103-82) of Victor Wembanyama’s teammates last night against Oklahoma City, evens up the two teams (2 wins each) in a barely believable duel between the two most regular-season teams in the NBA.
Wemby, on the other hand, calmly embraced his leadership role, both in terms of statistics (33 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks) and in game management. “He felt he had the obligation to set the tone,” said San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson. “He wants to take on responsibilities, he wants to be the leader, and he is made for that.”
The series is now more uncertain than ever. Will the next round, taking place on Tuesday night in Oklahoma, definitively tilt the balance of power? In almost nine out of ten cases, teams leading 3-2 in a best-of-seven series have ended up securing their spot in the next round.
But this series is unlike any other, and it seems that nothing will be decided until the final second, the last possession.
Wembanyama kept his promise
Last night, the Spurs did what was necessary to stay in the game, despite having a very low average age, one of the lowest in NBA playoffs history. Their youth? They use it as a driving force to achieve what no one thought possible. Two days ago, after the defeat in Game 3, Victor Wembanyama had said he needed to “do more.”
This message was perfectly executed on the court: after six minutes of play last night, he had already scored 7 points, made 2 assists, and 1 block. He took many shots, especially in the first half, finishing with very good shooting percentages (50% including 42% from 3-point range).
The Spurs started the game strong, quickly building a lead that was never closed by the Thunder. “We have to start games this way,” Wembanyama acknowledged. “But it’s not just about striking first, you also have to be consistent. We were more disciplined this time.” The Spurs applied strong pressure, causing numerous turnovers and completely disrupting the defending champions. The Thunder’s shooting percentages were abysmal (33% including 18% from three-point range).
Oklahoma City players were stifled by the relentless defense of the Spurs. From the middle of the first quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19 points, 7 assists) sat on the bench, helpless in finding solutions against the Texan fury. “We didn’t do anything incredible or magical, we just did what we needed to do,” Wembanyama tried to calm things down, emphasizing that there is still a long way to go to achieve their ultimate goal.
The Spurs and the offensive aggressiveness
The Spurs, who received a visit from their former coach Gregg Popovich to address them after their recent loss, also adjusted their rotation. They struggled to manage Wembanyama’s bench time? They found a solution: not subbing out the Frenchman, leaving him on the court as much as possible, like the first 9 minutes of the game played entirely through, a novelty in these playoffs.
And if he played “only” 31 minutes last night, it was because they already had a comfortable lead, and he was sent out at the start of the fourth quarter without returning.
The Texan aggressiveness was contagious. Devin Vassell blocked a shot early in the game, Julian Champagnie followed suit in the second quarter, and many times the Thunder players found themselves without options, running out of time due to San Antonio’s suffocating defense.
Everyone knew the match was in Spurs’ control when Wemby made a 3-point basket from half-court, right at the buzzer ending the first quarter. “In the past, I used to rush things, imagining I would be blocked, but it’s silly,” deciphered Wembanyama after the game. “It’s an area I needed to improve on, and the playoffs also serve that purpose.”
With such an effective defense, the Spurs didn’t need to score a lot: at halftime, they had only scored 50 points, while the Thunder lagged behind at 38. Their defense was their best asset, compensating for the “off nights” of several players, including Champagnie (2 points) and Keldon Johnson (6 points), whose playoff performances haven’t been consistent to their advantage.
The lead stretched to 25 points, and San Antonio comfortably closed out the game. Wembanyama, by far, was the highest scorer of the game. With 33 points, he outshone SGA, the regular season MVP, who scored less than 20 points.
