The San Antonio Spurs trounced the Oklahoma City Thunder with a dominant 118-91 win, levelling the Western Conference finals series at 3-3.
The most anticipated series of the post-season now heads to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday, with a place in the NBA Finals on the line.
Spurs Dominate to Force Decisive Game
There was little doubt about the outcome from early on as the Spurs stifled Oklahoma City’s offence. San Antonio caught fire from deep, hitting eight first-quarter 3s to open a 35-22 lead.
The Spurs slammed the door shut in the third quarter. A 20-0 run held Oklahoma City without a point for 7:27 of game time. During this run, the Spurs scored 11 points while Victor Wembanyama was resting.
Oklahoma City were outscored 32-13 in the third, their lowest quarter output of the season. By the start of the fourth, both teams’ stars were on the bench with the game’s outcome decided.
Wembanyama Leads the Charge
As expected from a Spurs blowout, Victor Wembanyama led the way. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 28 minutes.
Wembanyama shot 4-of-9 from 3, after struggling inside during Tuesday’s loss.
Strong Support From Young Guards
The Spurs also saw strong performances from their young guards. This helped to overcome a 1-of-9 shooting effort from De’Aaron Fox, who still managed 5 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Rookie Dylan Harper impressed off the bench with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and only 1 turnover, shooting 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3.
Stephon Castle, who struggled with 20 combined turnovers in the first two games, had 17 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and just 1 turnover. Both players contributed to San Antonio’s stifling team defence.
Gilgeous-Alexander Struggles
San Antonio held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander short of his MVP form again. He finished with 15 points, 4 assists and 2 turnovers, shooting 6 of 18 from the field, and a game-worst minus-28.
Jalen Williams returned from a three-plus game absence due to a hamstring injury, coming off the bench. He wasn’t a factor in his 10 minutes with 1 point, 1 assist and 2 turnovers, missing his only shot from the field.
The most anticipated series of the post-season is headed to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake.