Game 2 may not have been as thrilling as Game 1, but there were certainly high emotions for both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder clawed back in Game 2 with a 122-113 win to even the Western Conference finals at 1-1.
It felt like the Spurs were playing from behind all night; they trailed by as many as 14 points but kept battling. Ultimately, the Thunder won, but neither team came out of Game 2 unscathed.
The Spurs were hit with an injury to Dylan Harper while the Thunder saw Jalen Williams exit the game and Ajay Mitchell appear to pull up lame.
The good news for the Thunder — and the bad news for the Spurs — is Mitchell, who appeared to hurt his thigh late in the game, is not on the official injury report ahead of Game 3, meaning he will play Friday night.
Ajay Mitchell Escaping Injury is Awesome News for OKC
GettyAjay Mitchell #25, Isaiah Joe #11 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder knew they needed to win that one. Going down 0-2 before heading to San Antonio was not an option.
The Spurs didn’t make it easy on the home team despite trailing by as many as 14 points. San Antonio shaved the Thunder lead to just five points in the final minutes; then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander swooped in to save the day (again) and sank a left-wing midrange jumper off a gorgeously-executed stepback.
Both teams, especially the Spurs, have injury concerns ahead of Game 3.
The Spurs have already been without De’Aaron Fox, who has yet to suit up this series, while Harper, a standout rookie, sees his status very much up in the air for the rest of the series.
Harper, 20, is listed as questionable for Game 3, but there doesn’t appear to be a ton of confidence at this point that he’ll play.
Meanwhile on the Thunder side, having Mitchell cleared to play is big for Oklahoma City’s offense.
Mitchell, 23, has been a perfect fit next to Gilgeous-Alexander all postseason. Mitchell led the Thunder in scoring in their second round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bear in mind that Mitchell is only in his second season and hasn’t even played 1oo career regular season games.
Thunder Must Capitalize on Depleted Spurs Backcourt
GettyStephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs tries to save the ball during an NBA playoff game.
The Spurs know they need their explosive, athletic guards to keep the Thunder at bay. And on the other side of the ball, they know it’ll be a struggle to generate offense outside of Victor Wembanyama if Fox and Harper are sidelined.
Stephon Castle has taken over as the point guard, but the Thunder have forced him into a historic turnover volume.
If the Spurs hope to hang with the Thunder without Harper and Fox, Castle must cut out the miscues.
The Thunder, with their monumental depth, will look to prey on the Spurs’ unseasoned guard play in Game 3. They may not have Williams, the All-Star and All-NBA wing from a season ago, but they have been a well-oiled machine without him all season.
Simply put, the Thunder are much, much better positioned to win games without Williams than the Spurs are without both Fox and Harper.
Game 3 in San Antonio will be pivotal.
Ajay Mitchell Injury Update: Thunder Reveal Star’s Game 3 Status vs Spurs