The Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder will go down in history not only for the generational talent on the court, but also for the brutal show of force the young Spurs delivered at the most critical moment of the series. What promised to be a display of defensive prowess became a demonstration that the future, at least in Texas, has already arrived.
The culmination of this shift in power came in Game 4, a game that ultimately defined the psyche of both teams. The Thunder, defending champions and with the best record in the league, arrived at the AT&T Center looking to take a 3-1 lead and close out the series at home. However, they ran into a wall named Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama's "God Mode"
The series has been a titanic duel between the two leading MVP candidates: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama. But in Game 4, the Frenchman showed why he's considered "the most talented player on the planet." With a 62-win regular season, San Antonio needed its supernova to shine, and Wemby delivered with 33 points, 22 of them in a first half that was a nightmare for OKC's defense.
His ability to play both in the low post and punish from the perimeter exposed the Thunder's lack of size. While SGA crashed against the defense (19 points and 6-for-15 shooting), Wemby dominated both ends of the court, adding 8 rebounds and 3 blocks that nipped any comeback attempt in the bud.
San Antonio's Defensive Suffocation
The key aspect of the series has been the Spurs' extraordinary defensive reaction. After being criticized for their lack of playoff experience, Mitch Johnson's team adjusted their rotations to shut down the perimeter. The most compelling evidence was OKC's offensive collapse in Game 4: the Thunder scored only 82 points, their lowest total since December 2021, with a dismal 6 of 33 from three-point range (18.2%).
While OKC's bench contributed 76 points in Game 3, the Spurs stifled that output in Game 4 thanks to tactical discipline. The absence of Jalen Williams (injury) and Ajay Mitchell left SGA without playmaking support, resulting in 20 turnovers that San Antonio converted into 25 fast-break points.
The Oklahoma City Dilemma
For the Thunder, this series is exposing a critical problem: an over-reliance on individual matchups when the system breaks down. Despite having the deepest roster in the NBA, Wembanyama's pressure in the paint forced his shooters to rush their shots.
Although they comfortably won Game 3 (123-108), the Spurs' dominant performance in Game 4 demonstrates that San Antonio's inexperience is not a weakness, but rather a source of strength. With the series tied 2-2 and Game 5 in Oklahoma City, home-court advantage is once again at stake. If the Spurs steal a game on the road, it could spell the end for the reigning champions.
Credits: I used Google Translate for this translation.
