Spurs beat – Victor Wembanyama piled up 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks as the Spurs torched the Thunder 103-82 in Game 4 to tie the Western Conference finals. San Antonio limited Oklahoma City to 33% shooting and answered an earlier 3-1 situation
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs didn’t just win Game 4. They snapped the rhythm Oklahoma City brought into the series and did it with the kind of first punch that changes how a playoff game feels.
Victor Wembanyama finished with 33 points. eight rebounds. five assists and three blocks as San Antonio battered the Thunder 103-82 on Sunday night to tie the Western Conference finals. De’Aaron Fox posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell added 13 points each.
The message from San Antonio was clear from the opening stretch. Devin Vassell explained why it mattered so much to respond after going down. “You definitely don’t want to go down 3-1 going into their house,” Vassell said. “We knew we had to respond and that’s how you respond. You get stops. You don’t try and focus on the offensive end, you get stops, you get out of transition. You guard your yard and that’s what we did.”.
Game 5 is Tuesday in Oklahoma City, followed by Game 6 on Thursday in San Antonio.
Oklahoma City, searching for the attack that carried them after Friday’s loss, got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting. But the rest of the Thunder night never really caught.
San Antonio kept Oklahoma City’s offense under control by forcing poor efficiency and grinding the looks it was willing to give. The Thunder managed 33% shooting from the field, including 6 for 33 from 3-point range (18%). Vassell pinned part of it on a defensive adjustment that helped deny the kind of space that can flip playoff momentum. “I think we made a great defensive adjustment,” Vassell said. “I don’t want to say what it was. We were just able to rotate the shooters and not give them so many wide-open 3s. I feel like they had so many wide-open 3s over the past couple games and you’ve got to respect them. especially if they’re making them. So, we were trying to cut them out with that and just stay playing fast.”.
The Spurs also won the kind of secondary battle that can make a lopsided score feel inevitable. After being outscored 76-23 in bench points in Game 3, San Antonio’s reserves scored 30 points while limiting Oklahoma City to 34.
The turnaround came with a physical spark early. After being outscored 76-23 in bench points in Game 3, San Antonio had another hot start in Game 4 after opening the previous game on a 15-0 run. This time, the lead never slipped away.
Oklahoma City had taken control with an early edge in Friday’s game. and Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged how sharply the Spurs responded. “They just punched us in our face early,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s two games in a row they’ve come out the aggressor. The last game we were able to course correct. Tonight, we just didn’t do so.”.
One sequence summed up the Spurs’ momentum. After blocking Jared McCain’s layup under the rim, Vassell tossed an alley-oop pass to Wembanyama for a dunk as part of a 16-0 run that gave San Antonio a 23-8 lead with 4:19 remaining.
Wembanyama, who took Oklahoma City’s 123-108 victory Friday in Game 3 personally, had a different kind of start this time. In Game 3, the 7-foot-4 star from France said he needed to be better to make his teammates better. Sunday night was the correction. “We all have high standards and I know I have a lot of responsibilities. but I’m here for it. ” Wembanyama said. “Yeah, it was better today. It wasn’t perfect. But. you know. all of us. I’m talking about the whole organization. so we’re going to have to do things that we didn’t sign up for.”.
When it comes to the way he played early. Wembanyama made the point that consistent effort is the goal. not a quick burst. “I feel like with who we are. we need to start games like this. ” Wembanyama said. “but it really doesn’t mean anything for the way it holds. I mean. it helps for sure. but it’s a whole ‘nother type of effort to be consistent rather than just hitting first.”.
San Antonio’s offense supported the defense. The Spurs had an assist on all 10 field goals in the first quarter. and they held Oklahoma City to 38 points in the first half. tied for its second-lowest half in the past four regular and postseasons. The Thunder are 2-9 when they score less than 40 points in any half over the last five seasons.
San Antonio also kept its own footing. The Spurs never relinquished the lead in Game 4, and the result added to a broader season trait: San Antonio has not lost three consecutive games all season.
Even the numbers from Oklahoma City’s history underline how tight the night got. Oklahoma City’s franchise low is 65 points in a playoff loss to Memphis on May 3, 2014, and its second-fewest points had been 85 against San Antonio on May 21, 2014.
The Spurs now head back to Oklahoma City with the series tied, with one clear takeaway: when the defense tightened and the transition game clicked, San Antonio didn’t just answer the moment—it controlled it.
MISRYOUM Sports News NBA playoffs Western Conference finals San Antonio Spurs Oklahoma City Thunder Victor Wembanyama Devin Vassell De'Aaron Fox Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Game 4 result