All good things must come to an end, including the Western Conference Finals and my Fraternizing with the Enemy series of back-and-forth conversations with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder. We discuss Game 6, or expectations of the deciding game, and what our favorite parts of the series have been so far.
J.R.
I’m so excited because … it’s cliche picking time! Shall we go with all the marbles? Or do you prefer win or go home? Maybe put up or shut up? Possibly winner takes all? While I like the whole
nine yards, it sounds football related, even though it isn’t, and that’s more about intensity and extent and less about finality. Here, I’ve got it: we’re headed to Game 7 for the whole shebang. Yeah, that’s the stuff. A little light-hearted, kinda quirky but gets the job done. Perfect!
Speaking of perfect, I feel like the first half of G6 was just what we needed from this series. It was more like G1 and if there’s anything better than two powerhouse squads going blow for blow through four quarters, I don’t know what it is. If I can’t get an entire game of it, 24 minutes will have to do. Seems like we’ve kinda been making do since that gem of a game two Sundays ago when it took two overtimes to decide it.
After kind of losing their way in Game 5, when the Spurs only got Wemby the ball with a chance to both pass or score (i.e. non-lob opportunities) on 25% of their plays, they ratcheted things up and took that stat to 54% on Thursday night. That’s a huge shift and I found that even though I was hoping for Victor to live in the lane again like he did in G1, there were enough clever San Antonio plays that I didn’t miss it.
Unfortunately, OKC’s shooting didn’t travel well which deprived us of another all-timer. But both teams’ road shooting has been disgusting recently, and I don’t know that I can expect that to change since Game 7’s are famously poor-shooting affairs what with everyone emptying the tank because there’s no tomorrow for the losers. Whoops, one of the cliches snuck out of the first paragraph.
Alright, I’m interested in hearing from you about what you saw on the last game, and what kind of game you expect on Saturday night.
Cray
Gosh, that double overtime Game 1 feels like a lifetime ago. It’s been so thrilling to write through such an epic series with you, even if the games haven’t been down to the wire much since that opener.
I wouldn’t be shocked by a rock fight to conclude the Western Conference Finals for the reasons you mention. I do wonder, though, if the relatively fresh legs from the Thunder (for everyone except Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, sadly) and the last gasp from the Spurs could propel us to a more high powered finish. There was no drama that would lead to a letdown for the Spurs, and low minutes were had by all the Thunder players thanks to the blowout.
I don’t know if I’ve studied the series too much or am just out of ideas, but my analysis hasn’t changed much. Here’s my copy/paste pregame analysis of Game 6, which still sounds about right to me:
“Game 5’s offensive explosion masked some cracks in the defense for OKC, which had kept them in the series through four. An elimination Game 6 should be the boost of all boosts for the Spurs, even if they’re gassed…Wemby digging deep to find another gear is something the greats all eventually get around to. Harper could recover more health, or energy, or confidence, whatever combination of those things are holding him back.”
Wemby, Harper, and the jackals delivered for San Antonio. Shai, Chet, and tragically, JDub couldn’t for Oklahoma City.
And here’s where I was at ahead of Game 5, the last time the Spurs clawed back even with the Thunder:
“I’m taking heart in [an even] series, the bounceback capabilities of Shai and the Thunder bench, and the reality that crazy things happen in the playoffs. Shai has always been OKC’s hope, and I still believe. SGA will find a way to look more like himself, even as the sole playmaker.”
We’ve been here before, and Shai has always found a way. He’s got less help than ever, against the most formidable defensive matchup he’s faced in his postseason career. Seven games is a long time for him to crack the code, but it’s not yet too late.
I’m curious if you agree with Stephon Castle’s assessment after Game 6: has the WCF shown the Spurs to be “collectively” better than the Thunder in your eyes, or have they been fortunate to hang with OKC without their second best player virtually all series?
J.R.
The first thing I remind myself of when I hear an athlete talking about something related to confidence is that this is a person that is literally paid to maintain a positive attitude in the face of often ridiculous odds. Here’s an example, the Spurs were down 20 points in the fourth quarter of a game this year and came back to win. How ridiculous is that? How incredibly short must your memory be to keep taking shots when they have all been missing, while still expecting that the next one is going to go in?
This is part of the reason that it’s not just talent and size that separates us from professional athletes, there’s a mindset difference that is a big part of the equation. And that’s the kind of sodium chloride that I season with, because sometimes a pinch isn’t enough, and you need to take things with a grain silo of salt.
As far as whether the Spurs have been good or fortunate, I’m with the girl from the Old El Paso ad: Why not both? Once San Antonio had solidified themselves in the second seed in the Western Conference, there was a lot of talk about how they wouldn’t go very far in the playoffs because they lacked experience. And then an increasing number of NBA analysts began backtracking from that point of view. But there was enough noise in that chorus that the Spurs began championing their lack of experience. There were comments made about how they had no experience and they were proud of it and how experiences is overrated or unnecessary.
I guess that kind of talk is helpful in the same way that the guys who had to guard Michael Jordan found it useful to think of themselves as the best players in the world instead of MJ. (I’m certain Vernon Maxwell felt that way!) After all, how successful can someone be trying to defend the goat while thinking that they shouldn’t even be on the court with him? So when I hear Castle say that, I don’t mind, but I’m also not investing in it. Of course San Antonio has benefited from Oklahoma City’s injuries. Just like the Thunder has benefited from San Antonio trying to figure out who they are on the fly and from Fox and Harper being hobbled. To say otherwise would be silly.
Speaking of silly, I feel myself getting excited for the game like I was for the series before it began, which makes no sense as these teams have now being playing each other for almost two weeks! What have been your favorite parts of the series so far, and what have you least enjoyed?
Cray
Jared McCain’s flurries, especially Game 3. Not just because of how lovable a personality and player he is, but because of how chaotic the Thunder have been pushed to play thanks to their injuries and opponent both. McCain was not Plan A, *or* B for the Thunder rotation, but worked his way into the starting rotation with fearlessness and off the bounce juice that they so sorely needed.
This postseason has become an inverse of last regular season for OKC, health-wise. In 2024-25, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein missed huge chunks of the season while JDub and Alex Caruso led the small ball Thunder to keep enforcing their defensive will on the league’s frontcourts.
Those wings played the Mighty Mouse in the House role while their teammates scrapped and clawed at entry passes, gathers, and uh-oh kickouts when other teams fed their big trying to press the size advantage. Now underhanded in the backcourt, McCain has been the surprise next man up.
When McCain repeatedly took Kornet and Wemby to the cup in that Game 3, I was beside myself. Our smiley little prince had in fact come to slay giants.
The brief one-on-one possessions between Shai and Wemby have been another favorite, especially since SGA has tipped Vic over a couple times. I would love to see that matchup down the stretch in a close Game 7. I can already envision the slowmo shot of the ball barely clearing outstretched arms on a Shai jumper to win or lose the game–or to watch Wemby close the gap that looked to be available for the Clutch Player of the Year’s hero shot.
Honorable mentions: Isaiah Hartenstein’s impossibly accurate rainbow floaters skying higher and higher over Wemby, and Cason Wallace’s rude ripped dribbles from Dylan Harper in the full court.
What about your favorite moments and performances? I’d imagine it would be hard for much to come close to that transcendent Wemby Game 1.
J.R.
Wemby’s exploits are always eye-catching, and it really is astounding how often he does something I’ve never seen before. The average play is Wemby going full steam down the lane into a spin move that he finishes while traveling at near full speed with his left hand as he flies past the backboard. The extraordinary play is when he pulls up from half court at the end of a half and nails, a 43 footer that nearly everybody I’ve talked to about it says that they knew was good as soon as it left his hand.
Early in the series, there were terrific plays by Harper before his injury largely took him out of his scoring in Games 2 through 5, although his defense and rebounding allowed him to keep contributing as he healed. Now he seems back to terrorizing ball handlers, driving for dunks and pulling up for jumpers all over the floor.
I’ve loved Castle’s bowling ball routine and his relentless defense. I’ve appreciated Vassell’s pinpoint shooting and his perfectly timed blocks on the much taller Holmgren. KJ’s renaissance and energy has kept the Spurs in games. And before Champagnie’s shooting came back around, his defense and intelligent play have been the setting while his timely drives for buckets have been the diamond.
Maybe most of all there’s been the chess match we discussed before; the one that has only gotten more complicated now that we’re at the ultimate game. OKC has installed entire play sets to lift Wemby out of the weak side corner so he can’t help on drives, and San Antonio has pulled Wemby away from rebounding during free throws to the front court prep lightning quick attacks because it’s safe to assume that Shai won’t miss from the line. Finally, the wrinkles that San Antonio unveiled in Game 6 with an early flare screen leading to a high pick and roll from the left side created a whole series of scoring opportunities that OKC have yet to show they can defend.
Which brings us to today’s concluding game where we’ll see if Wemby can go off again and lift his young team into the Finals, or whether OKC thrills their home crowd and sends the visitors back to Texas to plan for next season. It’s peak BBIQ and elite execution and while I wanted to see the Spurs advance after 5 or 6, I can’t say I’m sorry it’s come down to the best of seven. Thanks for accompanying me on the journey. All the best to you.
