{"id":692322,"date":"2026-05-25T09:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T09:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/692322\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T09:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T09:07:12","slug":"victor-wembanyama-takes-over-in-game-4-as-spurs-run-away-from-thunder-to-tie-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/692322\/","title":{"rendered":"Victor Wembanyama takes over in Game 4 as Spurs run away from Thunder to tie series"},"content":{"rendered":"

Victor Wembanyama<\/a> turned it up for Game 4. The Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> barely showed up.<\/p>\n

The result was a 103-82 win for San Antonio<\/a> on Sunday night as the Spurs tied the Western Conference finals at 2-2.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

In what amounted to a must-win game for a Spurs<\/a> team facing Game 5 on the road, San Antonio set the tone early by feeding Wembanyama.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama opened the game with a 3. He quickly added a pair of alley-oop dunks against a Thunder defense that had limited his inside impact in Games 2 and 3. He then capped a first half that the Spurs controlled with a half-court 3-pointer to beat the buzzer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wemby stuns Thunder with half-court dagger<\/p>\n

The Thunder had a chance to cut into a 47-38 deficit in the final seconds of the half. But Cason Wallace<\/a> missed a 3, the Spurs scrambled for the rebound and then got the ball into the hands of their best player. Wembanyama rewarded that confidence by setting up and pulling up for a 3 from half-court that sunk through the net as the buzzer sounded.<\/p>\n

The Spurs entered halftime with momentum. The Thunder entered the break with 38 points. And Oklahoma City<\/a> didn\u2019t recover.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

A 7-0 Spurs run extended their lead early in the third quarter, and a Thunder rally to make the game competitive never materialized.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the same,\u201d Wembanyama told NBC postgame when asked what felt different to him in Sunday\u2019s game from losses in Games 2 and 3. \u201cJust had to figure out and find the answers for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

SGA sits entire fourth quarter<\/p>\n

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault waived the white flag by keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> on bench after subbing him out to start the fourth quarter, content to rest his MVP guard for a Game 5 at home. The series will now shift back to Oklahoma City tied at 2-2 with a Game 6 back in San Antonio guaranteed.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

The result was a desperately needed counterpunch for a Spurs team that got knocked on its collective heels in Games 2 and 3. And the series remains very much of for grabs.<\/p>\n

The Spurs can thank the process that led them to victory in Game 1 for Sunday\u2019s win \u2014 running things through Wembanyama. The Spurs center didn\u2019t post the otherworldly performance that propelled San Antonio to a thrilling Game 1 win. But he didn\u2019t need to, thanks in large part to a 22-point first half and defense that smothered OKC\u2019s normally efficient offense.<\/p>\n

When it was over, Wembanyama had tallied 33 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks while shooting 11 off 22 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3. He did so in 31 minutes while spending most of the fourth quarter of the blowout getting some much-needed rest on the bench.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

No other Spur eclipsed 20 points, and only Devin Vassell<\/a> (13 points), Stephon Castle<\/a> (13 points, 6 assists) and De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a> (12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) reached double figures in what was a slog of a game for both offenses.<\/p>\n

The Spurs shot just 38.9% from the field, but generated a scoring advantage at the free-throw line, where they made 24 of 32 (75%). The Thunder attempted 14 fewer free throws while shooting 16 of 18 from the line.<\/p>\n

And San Antonio didn\u2019t need much from its offense, thanks to its smothering effort on defense.<\/p>\n

SGA struggles<\/p>\n

Gilgeous-Alexander posted arguably his worst effort of the playoffs, tallying 19 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 turnovers. He shot 6 of 15 (40%) from the field and finished minus-18, the worst mark among Oklahoma City starters.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

It was a tepid offensive effort all around for the Thunder, who played Sunday without Jalen Williams<\/a> and Ajay Mitchell<\/a>, who both sat Game 4 with injuries.<\/p>\n

The Thunder shot 33% from the field, 18.2% (6 of 33) from 3 and turned the ball over 17 times. The swarming defense that has been their trademark since their run to last season\u2019s championship forced just 12 Spurs giveaways.<\/p>\n

It was the type of effort to toss in the trash and look immediately forward to Game 5, where the Thunder will hope to have Williams and Mitchell back. Williams was a late scratch after being previously listed as questionable with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for Game 4 and most of Game 3.<\/p>\n

Mitchell\u2019s chances for Game 5 may not be as strong. He was ruled out on Saturday with a calf strain, a poor sign for a quick return to the court.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Game 5 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday (NBC, Peacock).<\/p>\n

Live coverage is over24 updatesSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:34 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

\"KariSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:52 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

After a sluggish start, Oklahoma City is never really able to get a hold on San Antonio, who held the Thunder off with a comfortable lead and never looked back. With the dominant win, the Spurs tie the series at 2-2, guaranteeing at least a Game 6 in this series.<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama ends with 33 points and eight rebounds before getting pulled in the final minutes of the game as Mitch Johnson gives his starters some much-deserved rest. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also did not play in the last quarter, as the star Thunder guard recharged, possibly preparing for a long road ahead in the rest of the series.<\/p>\n

\"KariSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:45 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

This game feels pretty locked up, and Mitch Johnson certainly agrees: The Spurs coach has officially pulled four members of his starting lineup, leaving only De\u2019Aaron Fox with the bench as San Antonio takes a 22-point lead and just about puts a bow on it.<\/p>\n

\"KariSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:38 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Debate about whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likes to flop<\/a> when scoring has run hot this series, and Spurs fans are having fun with it.<\/p>\n

\"KariSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:29 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

The Spurs are making it look easy.<\/p>\n

\"KariSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:25 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:15 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to count this Thunder team out. But they\u2019ve got a tall task ahead to rally from a 78-60 deficit at the end of the third quarter.<\/p>\n

OKC showed some signs of life at the end of the quarter, but has a long way to go to make this a game.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 7:13 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

This series is physical, indeed. Chet Holmgren is bleeding from his right hand, and there\u2019s blood on the court and even on the backboard.<\/p>\n

A crew is cleaning up the court, and theres\u2019 a lengthy delay at the end of the third quarter. The Spurs remain in control. There\u2019s no inidication that Holmgren is dealing with anything seriou<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:51 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s lead is up to 65-43 with 7:17 remaining in the third quarter, and the Thunder are offering little resistance.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never smart to count the Thunder out, but there\u2019s little to indicate from an OKC team with 43 points almost midway through the third quarter that it\u2019s mounting a rally tonight.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:41 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more of the same to start the third quarter. San Antonio just reeled off a 7-0 run and holds a game-high 57-41 lead, 1:15 into the third quarter.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:37 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The Thunder start with the ball after a misrable first half in which they scored 38 points. Will they mount a rally, or will the Spurs hold on to tie the series at 2-2?<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:22 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Neither team is getting much on offense, and the Thunder didn\u2019t manage to score 40 points in the first half.<\/p>\n

Then Victor Wembanyama added to the Oklahoma City woes with a halfcourt shot to beat the first-half buzzer. Wemby has 22 points, and the Spurs hold a 50-38 lead at the break.<\/p>\n

San Antonio couldn\u2019t have drawn up a better first half.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:14 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Game 3 is officially a grind as neither team is shooting 35% from the field.<\/p>\n

The Spurs are so far keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check. The Thunder MVP has 8 points, 5 assists and 2 turnovers while shooting 3 of 9 from the field. He\u2019s minus-9 in the plus-minus column, and the Spurs hold a 41-32 lead with 2:48 remaining before halftime.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:57 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The Thunder were aggressive during the non-Wemby minutes in the second quarter.<\/p>\n

They cut a 15-point first quarter deficit to 28-24, but San Antonio has extended its advantage back to 35-26 with 7:32 remaining before halftime.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:43 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The start of Game 4 isn\u2019t that far off from Game 3.<\/p>\n

In Game 3, the Spurs started the game on a 15-0 run. Tonight, they rode a 16-0 run to a 23-8 lead and take a 28-19 lead into the second quarter.<\/p>\n

OKC outscored San Antonio by 30 after the strong Spurs\u2019 start to win Game 3 running away. Will tonight be a different story.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:31 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s on a 14-0 run, and its lead is up to 21-8. The Thunder have taken a timeout to regroup with 4:39 remaining in the first quarter. Wemby\u2019s up to 9 points with his second alley-oop dunk of the game.<\/p>\n

Thunder players not named Isaiah Hartenstein are 0 for 7 from the field.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:25 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama is asserting himself early, and the Spurs have a 13-8 lead at the first break in action.<\/p>\n

Wemby started the game with a 3 and an alley-oop dunk. He has 7 points, 3 assists and a block in the game\u2019s early minutes.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, Isaiah Hartenstein has accounted for all 8 OKC points while matched up against Wemby. He\u2019s 4 of 6 from the field. The rest of OKC\u2019s lineup is off to an 0-for-5 start.<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:22 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The ball is tipped. Will the Spurs tie the series up at 2-2 or lose their third straight game for the first time this season?<\/p>\n

\"JasonSun, May 24, 2026 at 5:12 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

With tip minutes away, the Thunder are preparing to lean on their depth once again<\/a> in Game 4 with a chance to take a 3-1 series lead.<\/p>\n

The Thunder announced pregame that Jalen Williams will remained sidelined with a lingering hamstring injury. He and Ajay Mitchell will both miss Sunday\u2019s game. Cason Wallace will get the start for the Thunder alongside Oklahoma City\u2019s regular starters.<\/p>\n

Sun, May 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Victor Wembanyama turned it up for Game 4. The Oklahoma City Thunder barely showed up. The result was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":692323,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[24610,49,48,42565,18716,97944,6686,459,9585,3555,24616,6691,82,21760,24618,140771,252982,21217],"class_list":["post-692322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ajay-mitchell","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cason-wallace","tag-deaaron-fox","tag-devin-vassell","tag-jalen-williams","tag-nba","tag-oklahoma-city","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-san-antonio","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-sports","tag-spurs","tag-stephon-castle","tag-the-spurs","tag-thunder-rally","tag-victor-wembanyama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}