The San Antonio Spurs, their crowd buzzing with excitement and leading for joy with every made bucket during the early run, came out like some men on a mission.
Then the Thunder said enough of that.
The Spurs ran out to a 15-0 sprint to start the game; things felt lost for the road team just like that. Then the Thunder woke up, settled in and chained the Spurs’ football-like energy on both sides of the ball.
With the Game 3 win, Oklahoma City takes a strong 2-1 series lead with the next game back in San Antonio.
Game 4 will virtually have a season-on-the-line type of feel to it for the Spurs.
What’s even worse?
Under head coach Mark Daigneault, the Thunder are 8-0 in Game 4s.
Spurs Playing With Their Backs Against the Wall
GettySan Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama prepares to shoot during an NBA game. The 22-year-old’s refined strength and conditioning — influenced by an unconventional offseason training approach — have fueled his historic postseason performances.
Game 1 now feels like ages ago.
The Spurs did what they were supposed to do. They beat an Oklahoma City team that has notoriously played without its fastball in the opening game of a series. But it took the Spurs two extra periods to do perhaps what they should’ve in just four.
The Thunder were a lot more like themselves in Game 2. They mounted a double-digit lead multiple times and kept the Spurs, fresh-legged and youthful as they may be, at an arm’s distance the entire game.
In Game 3, the Thunder showed grit, championship pedigree, a gear they know they can hit and the fresh-faced Spurs can’t, at least not this year.
And along with hitting that extra stride, the Thunder can call upon numerous names coming off the bench.
In Game 4, it was Jarred McCain’s night.
“Be calm, be poised in that situation and give each other confidence, give each other energy and know that we’re going to throw another punch,” said McCain, who scored a playoff-career-high 24 points. “We’re going to come back.”
Said two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who facilitated a boatload of those 24 points McCain scored: “He just oozes confidence. He knows exactly who he is. He knows exactly what he does, and he goes out there and does it no matter what. When the ball goes in or out, he makes the next play, makes the best play for himself and for the guys out there. He’s always aggressive, poised and attacks the moment.”
Reaction to Loss
GettySan Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama
The Spurs know there are still games to play in this series, but they also know this loss was significant.
From a momentum standpoint, direction standpoint, even an experience standpoint.
“Of course there are going to be trials,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said. “We’re going to see what we are made of.”
The Spurs were met with plenty of trials tonight, one of which were getting into heated altercations with the Thunder.
But the Thunder, ever the even-keeled, level-headed team, responded after the dustup in one way.
The Spurs responded in another way. In a way that reflected their dissipating confidence and focus. A Stephon Castle missed free throw right after a flagrant 1 and double technical fouls were assessed said it all.
In the end, the Spurs were outplayed as a unit down the stretch for a third straight game. They are fortunate the series score is 2-1 in favor of Oklahoma City and not 3-0.
The Thunder don’t lose Game 4s. They are threatening to improve their record in those games to a shining 4-0.
And if they do that, the Spurs … down 1-3? Against the defending champs? Going into Game 5 on the road?
Yikes.
Spurs Hit With Bad News Ahead of Massive Game 4 vs. Thunder