The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to roll over the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama did not get that memo.
San Antonio absolutely smashed Oklahoma City 103-82 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday night, evening the series at 2-2 and turning what looked like a Thunder coronation into a real fight. Wembanyama scored 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting, hit three triples, grabbed eight boards, dished five assists, and blocked three shots.
He had 22 of those 33 points by halftime. He capped the half with a half-court heave at the buzzer that sent the AT&T Center into total chaos. The Spurs led by 25 at one point and got to rest their starters in the fourth.
The Stat That Should Scare Everyone
Wembanyama’s 33-point night gave him 324 total points in his first career postseason. That broke a Spurs franchise record previously held by Stephen Jackson, who set the mark at 307 back in 2003. Wembanyama is 22 years old and just rewrote the team’s playoff history.
The Thunder, who scored just 38 first-half points, had no answer for him. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could not carry the entire offense by himself, and OKC’s role players went cold at the worst possible time.
De’Aaron Fox Is the Difference
The Spurs added Fox last year to give Wembanyama a real ball-handler. That trade is paying off in May. Fox poured in 24 points and ran the offense with control all night. Wembanyama is unguardable when Fox forces the defense to commit on a pick-and-roll. The Thunder’s switching scheme breaks down completely in those reads.
San Antonio is also playing with the kind of swagger that championship contenders need. They were not afraid of the moment in Game 4. They attacked.
What Happens Next
Game 5 is back in Oklahoma City. The pressure is squarely on the Thunder now. They are the defending champions. They had home court advantage. They were supposed to handle this group of upstarts. Instead they are heading into a best-of-three with momentum gone.
If Wembanyama plays like this in Game 5, the Thunder are in serious trouble. He is a generational talent operating at his peak in May. Nobody on Oklahoma City’s roster can match him physically.
The NBA Finals start June 3. If the Spurs win this series, the East better hope the Knicks finish their work fast and get plenty of rest. Because Victor Wembanyama at this level can beat anyone.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
