The Spurs look to avoid elimination as the Thunder roll into San Antonio with a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals. | Live updates below
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs are one loss away from the end of their remarkable postseason run.
The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder now hold a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, but the matchup shifts back to the Frost Bank Center for a pivotal Game 6 on Thursday night in San Antonio. With a win, the Spurs can extend the series and force a deciding Game 7.
After weathering an early push from the Spurs in Game 5, the Thunder took control midway through the second quarter and never relinquished it, using hot perimeter shooting and relentless pressure to overwhelm San Antonio. The Thunder shot 48.2% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range, a dramatic turnaround from their Game 4 struggles in San Antonio, where they managed just 82 points and shot 18.2% from beyond the arc.
The Spurs received strong efforts from several young stars despite the loss.
Stephon Castle continued his breakout postseason with 24 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Julian Champagnie scored 22 points and knocked down four 3-pointers.
Victor Wembanyama finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks, though the All-Star center struggled from the floor, shooting 4 for 15 and missing all five of his attempts from deep. Keldon Johnson added 15 points off the bench, but San Antonio received limited production elsewhere as De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper combined for just 20 points on difficult shooting nights.
Now the Spurs return home facing elimination for the first time this postseason. History is not on their side; teams that win Game 5 of a tied 2-2 series go on to win the series roughly 76% of the time.
But San Antonio has spent the entire playoff run defying expectations.
“I think we’ll be ready to play next game,” Champagnie said after the Game 5 loss. “Obviously it’s a win-or-go-home situation, so I’m 100% sure everybody will come to play.”
With a packed home crowd behind them and questions lingering around the health of Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, the Spurs will look to extend their season and force a winner-take-all Game 7. No San Antonio players are sitting, while the Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell will sit with injury and Jalen Williams is questionable.
For Wembanyama, it will also mark the first elimination game of his NBA career, another opportunity for the franchise centerpiece to deliver on the postseason stage.
Follow along for live updates below.
2Q, 5:29 remaining: Spurs 51, Thunder 41
Despite the Thunder’s hot start, Wembanyama and Dylan Harper kept the Spurs ahead with a combined 11-15 from the field through the first quarter and a half of play.
2Q, 8:47 remaining: Spurs 42, Thunder 31
OKC began the second frame on a 9-7 run, slowly chipping away at the lead before Mitch Johnson called a timeout to slow things down ahead of a deeper run from the Thunder.
End of 1Q: Spurs 35, Thunder 22
San Antonio is plus-21 on points from beyond the arc after one frame; that’s been the difference-maker so far as the Spurs fight with their season on the line.
Wemby has three of those treys and 11 points total, along with five rebounds.
1Q, 2:45 remaining: Spurs 26, Thunder 17
San Antonio is out to another hot start, which has become a Silver & Black trademark in these Western Conference Finals.
They’re especially successful early on from beyond the arc, where the Spurs are 7-for-12 so far, with five different players collecting a make.
1Q, 4:40 remaining: Spurs 17, Thunder 14
Mitch Johnson said after Game 5 that Victor Wembanyama needed to be more aggressive if the Spurs wanted to force a Game 7. His All-Star has so far answered the call.
Wembanyama had eight of San Antonio’s first 17 points after going 3-for-4 to start the game, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Pregame
Before tipoff at Frost Bank Center, fans made clear they have their team’s back at the most important juncture of the season. Here’s what it looked like at the Spurs’ venue, which erupted into a full-blown party before gametime.