French superstar Victor Wembanyama scored 33 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a dominant 103–82 win over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, tying the Western Conference Finals series at 2–2 in the NBA Playoffs.
Wembanyama added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in a game where the Thunder struggled offensively, posting their second‑lowest scoring total of the postseason. Their worst playoff scoring performance remains the 65 points they managed against the Memphis Grizzlies on May 3, 2014.
The French phenom shot 11-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc in just 31 minutes.
Wembanyama said afterward: “I need to find ways to impact the game in many areas. I have a lot of responsibilities, but I’m here for them. We all have to do things we’re not used to.”
He added: “This was the first time we trailed in a playoff series this season. All we did was respond. Nothing magical, nothing crazy — just doing what needed to be done. The series isn’t over.”
Game 5 will be played Tuesday in Oklahoma City, followed by Game 6 on Thursday in San Antonio.
Wembanyama knows what lies ahead: “We’re six wins away from being able to rest.” (Referring to two more wins to reach the NBA Finals, then four wins to claim the championship.)
The Spurs are aiming to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since winning the title in 2014, while the Thunder hope to become the first team to win back‑to‑back championships since the Golden State Warriors (2017–2018).
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised Wembanyama’s intensity: “Our competitive response has been excellent all season, and he was the driving force tonight. He felt the responsibility to set the tone in different ways. That aggression reflected that… He wants that responsibility — he’s built for it.”
The Thunder, who had not lost a road game in the playoffs this season, failed to keep up with San Antonio’s defensive pressure and missed the chance to secure a sixth straight road win.
Johnson added: “Any time we turn defense into offense by forcing mistakes, we’re at our best. We can run and play fast. Our activity was great tonight, and we’ll need even more as the series goes on.”
De’Aaron Fox contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Spurs, who had won Game 1 on the road before dropping the next two.
Determined to avoid a third straight loss — something they hadn’t experienced all postseason — the Spurs came out firing.
Canada’s Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander led the Thunder with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting, but the defending champions struggled badly, hitting just 33% from the field and 6-of-33 from three (18%).
After Spurs’ bench players managed only 23 points in Game 3 (compared to 76 from OKC’s bench), they improved to 30 points on Sunday — but more importantly, they limited the Thunder bench to just 34 points.
Unlike Game 3, when OKC opened with a 15–0 run, it was San Antonio who struck early this time — and they never let go of the lead, stretching the margin to as many as 25 points.
Gilgeous‑Alexander summed it up: “They punched us in the face early. They had the initiative for the second straight game. Last time we corrected it — tonight we didn’t.”
