The Spurs took homecourt advantage from the Thunder in Game 1, which became an instant classic. While missing De’Aaron Fox, who might still be out a while longer, they went to Oklahoma City and handed the home team its first loss of the entire playoffs in double overtime. Now they’ll look to take a commanding lead back to San Antonio by winning Game 2.
Dylan Harper did phenomenally in Fox’s stead, showing once again a maturity beyond his years, but the game belonged to Victor Wembanyama. The big man
finished with 41 points on 25 shots, along with 24 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, yet somehow the stat line doesn’t do his performance justice. The Thunder couldn’t do anything about him on offense as he punished the smaller defenders they used on him. His long three-pointer to send it to a second overtime feels like one of those highlights that will be remembered if the Spurs advance.
If there’s such a thing as a must-win game this early in a series, Game 2 is it for the Thunder. Heading on the road tied at one would be a reasonably good result. They could regain homecourt advantage quickly with a split in San Antonio. Another loss, however, puts them in a position to have to win four of the next five, with three of those away from Oklahoma City. After a not stellar performance for his standards, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will surely look to exert his will on the game like Wembanyama did in the previous matchup.
San Antonio Spurs (1-0) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1)
May 20th, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT
Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)
Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee)
What to watch for:
Who guards Wemby?
The Thunder went with a common approach to defending Wembanyama: use a smaller player on him to push him out of position and take away his dribble. It’s been a tactic that has had success in the past, but not this time, as Wembanyama scored nine points in just five shots when guarded by Alex Caruso. Whenever he could catch close to the rim, either on cuts or after switches, it was a bucket. He also punished OKC in the offensive boards a couple of times. Wemby was too big, and the mismatch was a problem.
At the same time, can the Thunder really adjust? Wembanyama has gotten the best of Chet Holmgren for most of their pro career. Hartenstein could be a better option to guard him, but Wemby can just either draw him out to the perimeter or try to force a switch. There are just not a lot of bigs who can hang with The Alien, which is why the strategy of having strong perimeter guys guard him exists in the first place. It’s unlikely Mark Daigneault will completely switch his defensive game plan after one game, but he might mix things up more in Game 2.
The two young guards might need to step up again
De’Aaron Fox is listed as questionable and expected to be a game-time decision. There’s a chance he’ll suit up, but it’s also completely possible, and even likely, he’ll miss another matchup. If he does, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle will need to once again answer the call and deliver like veterans on the biggest stage they’ve been on.
Their performances in Game 1 weren’t perfect, as they struggled with their outside shot and Castle was turnover-prone, but their defense was terrific, and they combined for 41 points, 17 boards, and 17 assists. Harper also pitched in seven steals. Lack of experience has been considered one of the Spurs’ weaknesses, but the two young guards looked comfortable despite the high stakes. If Fox is out again, hopefully they can have another consagratory performance, because the Spurs will probably need it.
Fatigue could be a major factor for both teams
The double overtime finish made Game 1 epic, but it also led to heavy minutes of intense play for most of the protagonists. All five Spurs starters were on the floor for more than 44 minutes, and Devin Vassell crossed the 50-minute mark. For the Thunder, Holmgren played 40+ minutes, SGA played 50+ minutes, and Jalen Williams, who is probably battling conditioning issues after injuries, got almost 40 minutes himself. There is only one day off between games, so the somewhat shallow San Antonio and the not-used-to-big-minutes OKC could struggle with exhaustion.
Fatigue could hurt the Spurs more, especially if Fox is not ready to go. While they are young, they had to play their main guys more in the first matchup. For San Antonio, a blowout, going either way, would provide an obvious signal they need to rest their guys, since there is no long break before the series continues. The hope is they can get production from their bench to avoid overloading their top players. But the potential of a 2-0 lead could be too enticing to resist, even if it means playing their starters heavy minutes to give themselves a chance. The Spurs are typically careful with load management, so it will be interesting to see how they handle playing time and rotations.
