Friday was the first time in nine years that the San Antonio Spurs hosted a Western Conference Final on their home court.
After kicking off the series with a double overtime win in Oklahoma City, the Silver & Black brought high hopes down I-35 in hopes of maintaining the home court advantage.
When the game tipped off, the Spurs had an overflow of adrenalin pumping. They scored the first 15 points of the game, putting on a clinic and raising expectations. For nearly four minutes, OKC did not score.
The Thunder spent the latter half of the quarter closing the gap. Once they did, they never looked back.
From the moment the Spurs conceded the lead, they could not put a cohesive run together. OKC kept the Spurs at arm’s length for the remainder of the game.
One unsettling statistic was the output of the Spurs bench. Not counting the five points Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee put up in garbage time, the quartet of Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant scored 18 points in a combined 52 minutes on the floor.
The Spurs starters, all of whom played 30 minutes or more (Wemby played 39 minutes), looked gassed by the end of the game, just as they were at the end of Game 1.
With less than 48 hours to recoup and reset, the Spurs will need to determine how to incorporate the bench as more than a stopgap to give Wembanyama some rest.
Keldon Johnson, the newly crowned Sixth Man of the Year, had a +/- of negative 23, scoring one basket and a pair of free throws. KJ has struggled throughout the postseason. His scoring has decresed steadily throughout the series while his +/- has worsened.
Luke Kornet’s presence is the most obvious as he steps on the court as Wemby sits down. Like clockwork, opponents recalibrate their game to incorporate attacking the paint. When Kornet receives the ball, he generally holds until he can handoff to a guard. He rarely dribbles or uses his body to clear space in attempts to get to the basket. He either waits outside the restricted area for lobs or sets picks for guys heading downhill.
Carter Bryant has had brief moments of brilliance throughout the playoffs illustrating just how he has earned his minutes. Last night he strggled to hit the strings, making only one shot. His efforts were doubly muddled by three personal fouls and a turnover.
Dylan Harper, still nursing adductor soreness, was unable to snake his way to the basket with the ease he’s exhibited all season long. While his injury should continue to improve, he was visibly not himself.
By comparison, four of the Thunder bench players scored in double figures, highlighted by Jared McCain’s 24 points. Caruso continues to be a defensive menace while knocking down timely shots. And Jaylin Williams added 18 points in his 22 minutes.
Overall, the Spurs fell behind the Thunder in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, rebounds and assists. They had more turnovers (15 to the Thunders 10) and more personal fouls to add to their woes.
It should be notes for all the complaints about officiating, the Spurs and Thunder each shot 33 free throw attempts. That’s not to say there isn’t disparity in the class themselves, but the game was not won at the free throw line.
Tomorrow the Spurs will watch film to readjust and have their morning shoot around.
Game 4 tips off on Sunday at 7:oo CST.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
