Oklahoma City secured a 117-99 victory over San Antonio, ending the series and advancing to the second round. They will face the Dallas Mavericks.
San Antonio’s season concludes with a 19-63 record, while Oklahoma City improved to 53-29.
Wembanyama’s Performance and the Thunder’s Defence
Wembanyama concluded his rookie season with 22 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. He shot 8-of-21 from the field and 2-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Despite Wembanyama’s promising rookie year, Game 5 highlighted his need for more support. Oklahoma City’s defence successfully crowded him inside, capitalising on San Antonio’s 37.1% shooting from deep.
In Game 5, Wembanyama scored 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting, with only eight points inside the paint. He didn’t attempt his first shot until over three minutes into the game. Oklahoma City won 127-114, taking a 3-2 series lead.
Calls for a More Assertive Wembanyama
Mitch Johnson emphasised the need for Wembanyama to increase his shot attempts. Stephon Castle echoed this sentiment, advocating for a more assertive approach from the centre.
Isaiah Hartenstein played a key role in Game 5, limiting Wembanyama to 1-of-9 shooting as his primary defender. The Thunder’s strategy involved rotating Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso around the rim to limit Wembanyama’s impact.
Wembanyama was forced into taking more jumpers and waiting for openings that never materialised. San Antonio needed him to attack more instead of relying on what the defence gave up.
The Spurs’ Wins and Losses
Across the Spurs’ two wins, Wembanyama averaged 37 points and 16 rebounds, shooting over 53%. This included a 41-point, 24-rebound performance in the double-overtime opener.
In the three losses, his numbers dropped to just over 22 points per game on less than 44% shooting.
- In wins, Wembanyama averaged 37 points and 16 rebounds.
- In losses, he averaged just over 22 points per game.
- Oklahoma City shot 37.1% from deep.
The Importance of Wembanyama’s Aggression
A more assertive Wembanyama creates opportunities for his teammates. His ability to draw defenders inside creates space for shooters.
San Antonio has home-court advantage. They also have no major injuries to worry about.
The Thunder are defending champions with a 3-2 lead despite playing without Ajay Mitchell and possibly Jalen Williams, who’s missed three games.
The Thunder’s route to closing out the series becomes much easier if Wembanyama doesn’t put enough pressure on them inside.