(VIDEO) Did Wembanyama Figure Out How To Beat Thunder Now? |
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama delivered a commanding performance with 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 103-82 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night and evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman set the tone early, drilling a 3-pointer on the game's first possession and rejecting a Chet Holmgren dunk attempt. He capped the first half with a logo-range buzzer-beater, sending the Frost Bank Center crowd into a frenzy as the Spurs built an insurmountable lead.
San Antonio dominated from the opening tip, embarking on a 16-0 run in the first quarter and never trailing after the initial minutes. The Spurs led by as many as 25 points, forcing 20 turnovers from the Thunder while holding them to a season-low 82 points on 33% shooting from the field, including 18% from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama finished 11 of 22 from the field and 3 of 7 from three-point range in 31 minutes. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle each added 13 points for the Spurs, while De'Aaron Fox contributed 12 points, a playoff career-high 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Thunder, who led the series 2-1 entering the game, struggled across the board. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed 19 points but had limited space to operate against San Antonio's length and switching defense. Oklahoma City was missing key contributors due to injury, further hampering their offense.
Wembanyama credited the team's collective defensive effort rather than any single adjustment after their Game 3 loss. "We've got good individual defenders so when we connect individual and team defense, it holds teams to low-scoring numbers," he........