I must admit, my confidence was hanging by a thread as last night\u2019s game started. After all, the Thunder are a genuinely great team, the Spurs had suffered consistently bad disadvantages in three straight games (e.g., turnover margin), and it felt like OKC\u2019s plan of fouling Wemby continuously was going to end up being an effective method for mitigating his impact. I didn\u2019t even feel good when San Antonio got up big in the first quarter because, well, look at Game 3. Even so, my spirits lifted as the second quarter progressed, soared with Victor\u2019s halfcourt heave to go up 12 at halftime, and remained excellent throughout a dominant second half. Considering the environment and stakes, this may have been the Spurs best performance of the season to date, and fortunately it also produced a fascinating box score. Let\u2019s review some highlights:<\/p>\n
Note: Now that we\u2019ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of May 24, 2026, this group include 1,197 games.<\/p>\n
Factors that decided the game<\/p>\n
What are Team Graded Box Scores?<\/p>\n
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team\u2019s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).<\/p>\n