Spurs’ suffocating defense knots Western Conference finals at 2-2
spurs-defense-knots-western-conference-finals
The San Antonio Spurs leveled the Western Conference finals on Sunday night with a 103-82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center, limiting the visitors to their lowest scoring output since December 2021.
San Antonio opened aggressively, forcing 17 turnovers and holding Oklahoma City to 33% shooting overall. The Thunder connected on just one three-pointer in the first half and finished 4-for-22 (18.2%) from long distance.
Rookie guard Stephon Castle handled primary defensive duties on two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was kept to 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting. The Spurs chose single coverage on Gilgeous-Alexander while staying tight on outside shooters.
“That’s what we hang our hat on, the defensive end,” guard Devin Vassell said. “The two games they won, we weren’t ourselves.” Vassell contributed 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in 33 minutes.
Head coach Mitch Johnson, who served as Vassell’s developmental coach after the 2020 draft, praised the 23-year-old’s progress. “When we first drafted him he fit the three-and-D mold, and he’s developed into a heck of a scorer,” Johnson said. “Now to see him have the two-way impact he has is very impactful for our team.”
Wembanyama breaks more rookie playoff marks
Center Victor Wembanyama produced 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks. The 20-year-old now has 324 points this postseason, eclipsing Stephen Jackson’s franchise record for a first playoff run. According to ESPN, he and Bill Walton are the only players to reach at least 300 points, 150 rebounds and 50 blocks in their initial postseason since blocks became an official statistic in 1974.
Popovich delivers post-Game 3 message
Former head coach Gregg Popovich addressed the locker room after Friday’s Game 3 defeat—his first appearance there this season, according to guard De’Aaron Fox. “He saw it, we all saw it,” Fox said of the team’s mindset in the blowout loss. “Coming into this game, we wanted to make sure that mentality was out the door.”
Fox still managing ankle sprain
Fox, who missed the series’ first two games with a high right ankle sprain, was visibly limping after Game 4. Despite the discomfort, he collected a game-high 10 rebounds. “I don’t know how many of them I actually jumped for,” he said. “But that’s half the battle—instinct.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
