The Silver & Black aim to secure a commanding Western Conference Finals lead despite a lingering key injury.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama became the talk of the sports world after his historic 41-point, 24-rebound performance against the Thunder to kick off the Western Conference Finals.
But that was just Game 1. And if the hostile crowd at Paycom Center was loud Monday night, the Thunder can likely expect them to be even more of a factor to help the team avoid falling into a 0-2 hole before the series shifts to San Antonio.
For their part, the Spurs aren’t resting on their laurels after stealing back home-court advantage from the defending champions. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year said as much hours before Game 2.
“We’re not taking no games off,” Keldon Johnson said. “We’re coming to win tonight. That’s the plan. We won one here, but the job’s not done. Can’t be satisfied, can’t get complacent.”
San Antonio is 5-1 in the regular season and playoffs against Oklahoma City; a sixth win would be the young Spurs’ biggest statement thus far in their remarkable playoff push.
But they will again be without the services of All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who was ruled out an hour before tipoff due to a high ankle sprain. Dylan Harper is again expected to start in his place; the 20-year-old was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team and proved to be a key Game 1 contributor with his 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals.
What might also be a factor in Game 2 is the fact that it’s coming just two nights after all five Spurs starters logged 40 minutes in their double-overtime victory, led by Devin Vassell’s 51.
That game was a bonafide instant classic in NBA Playoffs history; come 7:30 p.m. CT, fans will find out if Wednesday night can live up to what fans have joked is the “real NBA Finals.”
Follow along below for live updates from the game.
Pregame
De’Aaron Fox won’t suit up for a second straight game.
The Spurs made the announcement official a few hours after the All-Star was spotted at shootaround but not taking shots with teammates.
Historic ratings
The NBA announced that Game 1 of Spurs-Thunder was the most-watched Western Conference Finals opener ever, with 9.2 million fans tuning in on NBC and Peacock. During the game’s second OT period, viewership peaked at 12 million viewers.
That data makes the Game 1 battle the second-most-watched game of the NBA season to date, the league said, bested only by the Game 1 first-round matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
The ultimate diehard?
Spurs superfan Diana Munoz doesn’t just have some San Antonio-themed decorations around her house… it’s practically a museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Silver & Black.
KENS 5’s Vinnie Vinzetta got a firsthand look at the home where the undying Spurs passion is as apparent as anywhere else in the city.