The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night to tie the Western Conference finals at 1-1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recovered from a rough series opener to lead Oklahoma City with 30 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds.
San Antonio entered the game without All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who sat out due to severe right ankle stiffness. This forced the Spurs to start Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and Dylan Harper. All five players are 25 or younger, setting an NBA record for the youngest starting lineup in conference finals history.
The injury situation worsened as the game progressed. Thunder guard Jalen Williams exited in the first half with hamstring tightness. The Spurs then lost Harper to a third-quarter leg injury, detailing a growing crisis that left the Spurs short-handed in the backcourt. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said the combined loss of his two lead guards puts “a ton of pressure” on the remaining ball-handlers.
Wembanyama anchored San Antonio with 21 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocked shots. He faced relentless physical pressure from Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein. Wembanyama absorbed hard hits in the paint throughout the game, reacting to the physical defense and a foul involving Hartenstein.
Oklahoma City broke the game open with bench production. The Thunder reserves outscored San Antonio 57-25, led by Alex Caruso’s 17 points. Oklahoma City also generated a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers. The victory is only the second time the Thunder have beaten the Spurs in seven meetings this season. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in San Antonio.