OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 20: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives around Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 20, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER : User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Spurs looked like a veteran team in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. They faced a Thunder squad missing two key pieces and made sure they never gave them hope for an upset en route to a 103-82 blowout win. Victor Wembanyama led the way with 33 points in 32 minutes while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only had 19 in the losing effort. It was clear from the start which team was playing with more urgency. Staring down the possibility of heading back to Oklahoma City down 3-1, the Spurs looked more focused and energized early on. Victor Wembanyama hit a three, which is always a good omen, but the Silver and Black were also mixing in some pick-and-rolls to get the big man going. While the offense was solid in the halfcourt, which is never a given, it was the defense that allowed San Antonio to carve out a 15-point lead in the first quarter for the second game in a row. With the Thunder lacking secondary creators, Mitch Johnson and his staff decided to dial down the pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to prevent him from finding finishers. Great individual defense from Stephon Castle limited SGA, and it took Isaiah Hartenstein hitting four long floaters for the visitors to reach 19 points for the frame. Victor Wembanyama was on the floor for most of the first instead of resting with a lead, so the bench with Luke Kornet started the second. The subs have been outplayed all series, but once again, there was no secondary creator for the Thunder while SGA rested. The second unit still struggled to score but held its own on defense until Wembanyama could return. The low-scoring start of the frame was a harbinger of things to come, as the pace slowed down, and constant stoppages took both teams out of rhythm. It was an ugly stretch in which the Spurs’ defense did a terrific job on Gilgeous-Alexander while not allowing anything easy to anyone else, but the offense got stagnant and too many possessions ended up with one-on-one play and few passes. Still, thanks to the efforts of Vassell and Wembanyama, who hit a half-court shot at the buzzer, San Antonio held a 12-point lead at the half. FROM LOOOONG DISTANCE 🏹📺@NBAonNBC pic.twitter.com/2N456BWhTq— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 25, 2026 Normally, the Thunder would adjust after the break to fix an offense that couldn’t reach 20 points in either of the first two quarters, but there was not much they could do on Sunday. They tried to have Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso initiate plays with SGA off the ball, but the defense remained suffocating, and the Spurs continued to force tough shots from the MVP or turnovers that led to transition opportunities. Mark Daigneault tried to go five-out with two shooting bigs on the floor instead of going back to Hartenstein, but the Thunder’s role players couldn’t buy a three after sinking one after the other in Game 3. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell were stellar on defense, Wembanyama looked for his shot from inside and out, and the reigning champions simply didn’t have any answers. A decent stretch to close it out couldn’t make up for a terrible quarter for the visitors, who trailed by 18 heading into the final frame. Gilgeous-Alexander was not on the floor to start the fourth, and it was hard to determine whether Daingeault was waving the white flag early or trying to find a spark elsewhere before sending his superstar back to deal with physical defense. It was probably a bit of both, and since no unexpected hero led a run, the MVP never checked back in. The Spurs managed their lead and gave minutes to players who needed them to get going before both teams emptied their benches. It was a dominant performance by a San Antonio team that made adjustments, took advantage of absences, and rediscovered its identity to tie the series at two each. Game notes The two biggest factors in the win are related. The Spurs wisely changed their approach to guarding Gilgeous-Alexander, showing him a crowd but being more selective on when to double or trap him. With Wembanyama in the paint, SGA settled for jumpers and made a few, but couldn’t feed role players for open looks. The second factor was the Thunder’s lack of a secondary ball handler. It was SGA or nothing, basically, as both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were out. When SGA passed, the target wasn’t always open, and the offense stagnated. Injuries are beyond a team’s control, but credit to the Spurs’ coaching staff for their defensive adjustment. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle had 13 points each, which is not bad but far from their career highs, but they made a tremendous impact on defense. The entire team played with toughness and purpose, but those two were terrific at limiting Gilgeous-Alexander and flying around as help defenders. De’Aaron Fox had a double-double with points and rebounds, not assists. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort for the Spurs on the glass and on defense. Fox was the only one in double digits in rebounds, but other five San Antonio players had four or more. The bench struggles have been well documented, and while the second unit didn’t exactly impress, the effort was there. Luke Kornet had some good stints, Dylan Harper made plays on both ends, and Harrison Barnes, who was on the floor for 16 minutes, all played with physicality and purpose while making few mistakes. Keldon Johnson continued to struggle with his shot, and Carter Bryant had some rookie moments, but overall, the bench did better. The Thunder shot 6-for-33 from beyond the arc. Some of their struggles can be attributed to the Spurs’ defensive adjustment, but they also missed open ones that will probably go down in Oklahoma City. The good news is the Silver and Black also have plenty of room for improvement, since they went 9-for-33. Hopefully Julian Champagnie, who missed all five of his attempts on Game 4, can hit a few in the next one. Play of the game While the defensive adjustments will get more attention, the purpose with which the Spurs looked for Wembanyama at times inside was encouraging. Sometimes it feels like the Spurs forget that they can just run pick-and-rolls, but when they remember, good things tend to happen. AREA 51 AGAIN ‼️📺 NBC | Peacock pic.twitter.com/3PFHIeE50l— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 25, 2026 Game 5: at Oklahoma City on Tuesday A pivotal Game 5 awaits. If the Thunder are still shorthanded, the Spurs must take advantage. ...read more read less