Coming off a tough loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3, the Spurs looked to regroup and even the series in Game 4. Even though they were not listed on the injury report, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are still playing through their respective injuries. After an 8-7 lead by OKC, the Spurs embarked on a 15-0 run. They outscored the Thunder 28-19 in the first quarter, which would be a theme for the rest of the game. The Spurs’ defense adjusted from Game 3 and decided to guard MVP guard Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander straight up, with only doubling him when necessary. The result: Not as many open shots for OKC’s role players, and when they were open, they managed to actually miss. Also, the Spurs gave the Thunder a taste of their own medicine: live-ball turnovers that resulted in extra points. Through a tough and gritty defensive performance, the Spurs held OKC to 33% shooting from the field and 18% from three-point territory. The Spurs led by as much as 25 in the game, and routed OKC 103-82.
Victor Wembanyama led the way with 33 points (11-22 FG, 8-9 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals. Wemby was ultra-aggressive to start after being named to First Team All-NBA. 22 of his 33 points came in the first half alone. Anytime he was in the paint, he was able to take advantage of his height by tipping the ball multiple times off the glass for putbacks. He also drained three threes and stretched the OKC out thin. Wemby is now averaging 30.3 points per game, 13.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3 blocks in his first-ever Western Conference Finals on nearly 50/40/90 efficiency. A friendly reminder: he is only 22 years old.
On the board! Wemby gets the Spurs on the board first with a deep three!
AREA 51! Stephon Castle drives into the paint and throws it up high for a Wemby lob slam!
SPURS BALL MOVEMENT! The Spurs throw it around the world with Wemby dishing the last pass in the possession to Julian Champagnie, who drives in and finishes!
UNBELIEVABLE ALIEN ACTIVITY! With the clock dwindling, Wemby pulls up from halfcourt and swishes it home to beat the halftime buzzer!
AREA 51 x2! Steph drives into the paint and lobs it up again to Wemby, who then finishes over Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein for the and-one!
Too much space! Wemby drains the transition three to eclipse the 30-point mark!
With the left! After the steal, Wemby throws it up court to Steph, who throws a behind-the-back bounce pass back to Wemby for a left-handed jam!
Stephon Castle dropped a loud 13 points, six assists, three rebounds, one steal, and a block. Steph was a monster on defense, especially when guarding SGA. With the Spurs’ strategy to trust in guarding without immediately doubling, Steph helped hold SGA to 40% shooting and four turnovers. It is very puzzling to see him left off the All-Defensive teams, but Steph is, without a doubt, using it as fuel. Ever since Fox returned to the backcourt, Steph has only turned the ball over twice in two games. Playing his natural position at shooting guard, he has been able to play without fear of overthinking his game.
LOCKED UP! Steph locks up SGA and forces several pump fakes, hesitations, and a jump ball!
Picked his pocket! Steph swipes the ball away from Hartenstein, and he dishes to a cutting Wemby for a fastbreak slam!
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE! After Devin Vassell intercepts the pass, he dishes it to Dylan Harper, who then lobs it up to Steph for the alley-oop jam!
Devin Vassell dropped 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. Dev continues to do the dirty work and continues to play like a playoff riser. He has played without fear in his first playoff run, hitting timely shots, defending both the perimeter and the paint well, and making the right play every time. Regardless of how this team’s run ends, his performances are close to classic Spurs role player performances.
D3VIN VAS33L! Dev knocks down the transition three from the Steph dime!
THE D STANDS FOR DEFENSE! Dev blocks Jared McCain off the glass and gets the rebound. He then leads the fastbreak with a lob to Wemby for the alley-oop connection!
De’Aaron Fox dropped a double-double: 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists, a steal, and a block. It has been remarkable to watch this man play through the pain in his ankle, providing the team with whatever they need. He was able to grab a game-high 10 boards on one healthy ankle, and still provided scoring with a dose of playmaking. As stated earlier, his return has allowed Steph and Dylan to play stress-free with his decision-making. Regardless of how the Spurs finish their playoff run, there is no doubt he has earned the respect of Spurs fans worldwide.
Fox dime! Fox gets double-teamed and threads the needle to an open Luke Kornet under the basket for the dunk!
D3’AARON! More Spurs ball movement has the Thunder late to rotate, and it results in a wide-open Fox triple!
ALLEY-LUKE! Fox drives into the paint and throws up the lob to Luke for the alley-oop slam!
Chef’s Kiss. Dylan Harper unleashes his explosiveness while hurt by slicing through the double-team and posterizing Jaylin Williams!
This was a much-needed response to keep hope alive in the series. The Spurs may not have had their best offensive performance, but they definitely shut down the Thunder’s offense. They held OKC to their lowest scoring total in five years and frustrated SGA. The Spurs know to expect a big response in Game 5, but this performance has sparked even more confidence that they will keep the reigning champs on their heels. Also, the Spurs should do whatever they can to invite the Salesian Sisters for the remaining games in the series.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Western Conference Finals turn into a best-of-three series with Game 5 being a huge litmus test for both teams. Game 5 is this Tuesday at 7:30 P.M. (CST) on NBC/Peacock.
