SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Victor Wembanyama scored 33 points, contributing eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 in Game 4 on Sunday night.
This victory allowed the Spurs to level the Western Conference finals series.
De’Aaron Fox supported the effort with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while teammates Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell each added 13 points. The Spurs have not lost three consecutive games during the current season.
Game Overview
Game 5 is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City, followed by Game 6 on Thursday in San Antonio. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting, but the team struggled offensively.
Wembanyama took the Thunder’s previous victory in Game 3 personally, stating that he needed to improve to help his teammates. His performance in Game 4 demonstrated significant improvement, which was mirrored by the Spurs’ overall team effort.
Defensive Performance
The Spurs’ defense was pivotal, limiting the Thunder to just 33% shooting from the field and forcing them to make only 6 of 33 attempts from beyond the arc, resulting in an 18% success rate.
After being outscored 76-23 in bench points during Game 3, the Spurs’ reserves contributed 30 points while restricting Oklahoma City’s bench to 34 points. This marked a turnaround in the Spurs’ performance.
Strong Start for the Spurs
The Spurs initiated Game 4 with a strong start, similar to their previous game where they opened with a 15-0 run. Unlike that loss, the Spurs maintained their lead throughout the match.
A pivotal moment occurred when Vassell blocked a layup attempt by Jared McCain, leading to an alley-oop dunk by Wembanyama, which was part of a 16-0 run that established a 23-8 lead with 4:19 remaining in the first quarter.
First Half Analysis
San Antonio held Oklahoma City to 38 points in the first half, which ties for the Thunder’s second-lowest scoring half in the past four regular and postseason games. The Thunder have a record of 2-9 when scoring fewer than 40 points in any half over the last five seasons.
The franchise’s lowest postseason score is 65 points, recorded in a loss to Memphis on May 3, 2014, while their second-lowest total was 85 points against the Spurs on May 21, 2014.