25-26 Spurs Tie Up Western Conference Finals at 2-2
Saturday, the New York Knicks looked to continue their Eastern Conference Finals dominance over the Cleveland Cavaliers and did so by taking a 3-0 lead with a 121-108 victory. On Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to do the same out in the West and take a 3-1 lead over the San Antonio Spurs. However, Victor Wembanyama and his teammates had other plans as they overpowered the defending champions at home to take a 103-82 Game Four win. Both teams look to control the series on Tuesday night in hopes of taking a 3-2 series lead.
Wembanyama Looked Unstoppable
During the win, Wembanyama played 33 minutes and recorded 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three blocks. The Spurs star looked unstoppable during the win, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren unable to take the seven-foot-four center out of his rhythm. While he finished Game Four with four turnovers, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year played a key role in getting San Antonio past the defending champs. If the 22-year-old can continue being effective and reduce the turnovers, the Spurs could very much take advantage of the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander Needs to Be More of a Leader
Within the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points, going six for 15 from the field. Other Thunder teammates like Jared McCain and Aaron Wiggins combined for eight points, shooting three for 21. Oklahoma City needs their two-time MVP to be more of a leader and score the ball, especially with his teammates not getting as involved as they should. Gilgeous-Alexander must look to score every chance he can in Game Five if he wants the Thunder to advance to a second consecutive NBA Finals.
Why Didn’t Alex Caruso Receive More Minutes?
In Game One, Alex Caruso finished with 31 points. Even though Oklahoma City lost, Caruso showed how valuable he is to this Thunder team. Things looked completely different for Game Four as the 32-year-old played 14 minutes and didn’t score at all, missing his one attempt from the field. Clearly, Caruso found something in Game One that the Spurs could not expose. The Thunder should look to continue using the 32-year-old within the lineup, whether he’s starting or receiving 20+ minutes off the bench.
