The San Antonio Spurs avoided elimination on Thursday by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 in Game 6 of the West Finals, a victory that sends the series to Game 7 on Saturday in Oklahoma.
A 20-0 run in the third quarter that took the game from 72-64 to 92-64, with more than 8 minutes with the Thunder in white, definitively broke the duel with an insurmountable gap for the Thunder.
Wembanyama responded when they needed him most
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Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Including 22 before halftime, which surpassed the 20-point barrier set by coach Mitch Johnson as necessary to stay alive.
“He has to shoot more than 15 times, even counting free throws.”
“And, no doubt, he’s going to have to score 20-plus points.”
Johnson said after San Antonio’s Game 5 loss Tuesday in Oklahoma City (Filed under: Spurs vs Thunder Force Game 7).
Spurs survive
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When you’re on the brink of elimination, you have to play your best game.
And that’s exactly what the Spurs did on Thursday.
A young team that has wowed the NBA this season faced a do-or-die scenario for the first time.
The Spurs dominated the Thunder from the first possession to the last, outplaying the defending champions at times.
San Antonio came out strong from the perimeter, an area in which it is having serious problems in this series.
He was 11-of-25 (44%) in the first half.
With four three-pointers from Wembanyama and three from Devin Vassell paced the Spurs (Filed as: Spurs vs Thunder Fuerzan Game 7).
The third quarter that completely changed the game
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Despite that dominance, the Spurs were unable to let go of the Thunder.
They recovered Jalen Williams, injured in the second game with a relapse of his left hamstring strain, for the cause.
The Spurs built a 15-point lead in the second quarter.
But the Thunder managed to go into the break only seven down (60-53).
Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mere 10 points.
Everything changed in the third quarter, in that stretch of 8:03 minutes without the Thunder seeing a hoop, with a 20-0 Spurs run (Filed as: Spurs vs Thunder Fuerzan Game 7).
San Antonio came out firing on all cylinders
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Thunder never found answers
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The game was so close that Mark Daigneault and Mitch Johnson sat their starters with more than seven minutes left in the final quarter.
Saving them for Saturday’s big game in Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s face – with only 15 points – on the bench was a poem.
The Canadian has acknowledged that he has not yet played a good enough game in these finals.
Those 15 points were the best mark by a Thunder player tonight in San Antonio.
With 13 from Jared McCain or 11 from Cason Wallace.
Williams had to settle for only one point.
The Thunder finished with 36.8% shooting from the field and only 25% in three-pointers.
For the Spurs, in addition to Wembanyama’s 28-10 performance, rookie Dylan Harper scored 18 points.
Stephon Castle 17 (with 9 assists) or Vassell another 12 (Filed as: Spurs vs Thunder Forzan Game 7).
With information from EFE
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