The Spurs trail the Thunder 2-1 in the series after a 123-108 loss in Game 3. Can they tie the series up at 2-2?
SAN ANTONIO — After winning Game 1 in dramatic fashion, the San Antonio Spurs have dropped two in a row and are now down 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder going into Game 4.
To avoid going down 3-1 to the defending champs, San Antonio must figure out a way to defeat Oklahoma City like they did in Game 1.
In Game 3, the story of the game was bench scoring: Oklahoma City had 76 points, tied for fifth most points off the bench for a team in an NBA playoff game. Leading the bench was Jared McCain, who scored 24 points on 10/21 shooting (+28 plus/minus). Jaylin Williams added 18 points including five 3-pointers, Alex Caruso scored 15 (+28 plus/minus) and Cason Wallace scored 11.
Of the starters, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points on 6/17 from the field while Chet Holmgren had 14.
On San Antonio’s side, the game started great, getting off to an electric 15-0 start. However, the Thunder were able to weather the storm, eventually going up by 18.
Victor Wembanyama had 26 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He also shot 8/15 from the field. Devin Vassell continued his hot streak with 20 points on 3/6 shooting from 3-point range.
De’Aaron Fox in his return from injury had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Fox was able to alleviate the pressure from Stephon Castle, who struggled taking care in Games 1 and 2. In turn, Castle only had one turnover. He did struggle from the field however, scoring 14 points on 1/8 shooting. He did add five rebounds and seven assists.
With Fox playing, the Spurs took care of the ball a bit better, only turning the ball over 15 times.
While Oklahoma City’s bench had 76, San Antonio’s bench largely struggled, only scoring 23. Dylan Harper had the most points off the bench with six.
Another big factor was 3-point shooting, Oklahoma City shot 17/28 for a scorching 45% from long range. San Antonio shot 13/41 from that range for 32%.
If the Spurs want to tie this series up, they’ll need to try to limit Oklahoma City’s bench production as well as the 3-point onslaught.
As far as injuries go, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell are both listed as out for the game. The Spurs don’t have anyone listed as of 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
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Pregame
Before Game 4 tipped off, Victor Wembanyama was named to the All-NBA First Team alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham. Wemby finished third in MVP voting and now has his first All-NBA team selection on his resume.