Spurs crush Thunder, hold Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to season low and force Game 7

In sports, there is a saying: you feel no disappointment when you expect nothing. But what happens when you expect everything?

That is the feeling surrounding this Thunder vs Spurs series, a matchup many circled back in November and December, when both teams began testing each other and San Antonio looked like one of the few squads capable of matching Oklahoma City’s rise. What better stage than a seven-game battle to decide who truly belongs at the top of the Western Conference?

Now it comes down to one final game. One winner. One loser. The story, at once brutal and beautiful, will end in Game 7 after San Antonio’s emphatic response in Game 6 evened the series.

Spurs force Game 7 with dominant home win

On the night from Thursday into Friday, Mitch Johnson’s Spurs defended home court at Frost Bank Center with a commanding 118-91 victory. The win tied the Western Conference finals at 3-3 and set up a decisive Game 7 in Oklahoma City.

San Antonio showed flashes of why it is considered a rising force in the league. In fact, one of its starting lineups was the youngest ever used in a conference finals game since the NBA began tracking that data, averaging just 22 years and 346 days old.

The Spurs even had the luxury of easing off in the fourth quarter, giving minutes to bench players as they conserved energy for the ultimate test ahead. They know Game 7 on the road will demand everything.

Wembanyama leads the way again

San Antonio struck first in the series with a thrilling overtime win powered by a standout performance from Victor Wembanyama. After being controlled in the middle stretch of the matchup, the Spurs have now shown they can absorb Oklahoma City’s pressure and respond.

In Game 6, Wembanyama once again led the way with a double-double, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds while shooting nearly 50% from the field. He offset three turnovers with three blocks, added two assists, and recorded two steals in a complete two-way performance.

De’Aaron Fox struggled, finishing 1-for-9 from the field, but San Antonio’s depth held firm. Backup guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper stepped up with 17 and 18 points respectively, showing the Spurs are not lacking for options beyond their stars.

Oklahoma City struggles to find rhythm

On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring but managed only 15 points and just 33% shooting, reflecting an overall off night for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder attributed part of their struggles to physical fatigue, suggesting they were not at their usual level of intensity. Gilgeous-Alexander himself echoed that sentiment after the game.

Oklahoma City also welcomed back Jalen Williams from a muscle injury, but he was limited to just 10 minutes and was clearly not at full strength. His return, even in a reduced role, was not enough to shift the momentum.

Re-establishing his impact will be crucial heading into Game 7.

“We did not respond,” says SGA

“They hit us, and we did not respond,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the loss.

Now the series heads to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Oklahoma City, with everything on the line. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are already resting comfortably after sweeping their opponent 4-0.

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San Antonio Spurs

Stats

30 Julian Champagnie
24 Devin Vassell
1 Victor Wembanyama
5 Stephon Castle
4 De'Aaron Fox
40 Harrison Barnes
18 Bismack Biyombo
11 Carter Bryant
2 Dylan Harper
3 Keldon Johnson
7 Luke Kornet
0 Jordan McLaughlin
8 Kelly Olynyk
45 Mason Plumlee
43 Lindy Waters III

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF
30 Julian Champagnie	25	10	6	1	5	2	1	1	2	0/0	2/2	2/6	0	2
24 Devin Vassell	26	12	1	0	1	2	1	1	2	0/0	0/0	4/7	0	0
1 Victor Wembanyama	28	28	10	4	6	2	3	2	3	4/4	6/12	4/9	0	0
5 Stephon Castle	31	17	5	2	3	9	1	1	0	7/8	5/8	0/2	0	3
4 De'Aaron Fox	25	5	5	0	5	7	0	0	0	3/4	1/6	0/3	0	2
40 Harrison Barnes	13	6	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0/0	0/0	2/4	0	0
18 Bismack Biyombo	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/1	0/0	0	0
11 Carter Bryant	7	2	4	0	4	0	1	0	0	0/0	1/1	0/2	0	2
2 Dylan Harper	22	18	6	0	6	4	1	0	0	4/4	4/6	2/3	0	1
3 Keldon Johnson	17	9	3	1	2	0	1	1	0	0/0	3/4	1/3	0	1
7 Luke Kornet	13	3	5	2	3	1	1	0	0	1/2	1/2	0/0	0	1
0 Jordan McLaughlin	7	0	4	0	4	2	1	0	0	0/0	0/1	0/1	0	0
8 Kelly Olynyk	5	6	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2/3	2/3	0/0	0	0
45 Mason Plumlee	4	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	1
43 Lindy Waters III	6	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0/0	1/1	0/1	0	1

Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats

5 Luguentz Dort
7 Chet Holmgren
55 Isaiah Hartenstein
2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3 Jared McCain
9 Alex Caruso
11 Isaiah Joe
44 Nikola Topić
22 Cason Wallace
21 Aaron Wiggins
8 Jalen Williams
6 Jaylin Williams
34 Kenrich Williams

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF
5 Luguentz Dort	22	5	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	0/0	1/2	1/9	0	2
7 Chet Holmgren	24	10	11	4	7	1	0	1	2	2/2	4/7	0/1	0	2
55 Isaiah Hartenstein	16	10	5	3	2	3	0	0	0	0/0	5/10	0/0	0	3
2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	28	15	1	0	1	4	2	0	0	3/3	6/13	0/5	0	1
3 Jared McCain	27	13	2	0	2	6	2	2	0	3/3	2/8	2/3	0	1
9 Alex Caruso	21	7	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0/0	2/4	1/3	0	1
11 Isaiah Joe	16	3	4	3	1	2	1	0	0	0/0	0/0	1/4	0	2
44 Nikola Topić	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0/0	0/0	0/1	0	1
22 Cason Wallace	20	11	3	1	2	1	2	3	0	0/0	1/2	3/4	0	2
21 Aaron Wiggins	7	5	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0/0	1/2	1/1	0	0
8 Jalen Williams	10	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	1/2	0/0	0/1	0	1
6 Jaylin Williams	25	4	9	0	9	2	0	0	0	0/0	2/2	0/4	0	4
34 Kenrich Williams	14	7	6	1	5	2	1	0	0	2/2	1/4	1/4	0	1