Do Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs have the supporting cast to hang with the Thunder?
The louder Frost Bank Center became with each momentum-shifting play in the opening minutes, the darker the cloud of anticipatory anxiety grew. De’Aaron Fox’s triumphant return to the floor — and Victor Wembanyama’s new embracing of physicality — had invigorated the Spurs. Fox’s immediate injection of speed, tempo control and leadership paired with all things Wembanyama became the catalyst of a blistering 19-4 start, a burst of energy so emotional and impactful that it threatened to blow the roof off the building.
But as valiant as their early efforts were, they eventually would have to go to the bench. Fox, having returned from a high ankle sprain, could not be overexerted at this stage in what appears to be a lengthy series; Wembanyama, having picked up early fouls, was subject to head coach Mitch Johnson’s typical rotation patterns. No Wembanyama meant an emboldened, prideful Thunder group eager to attack from multiple angles without apprehension.
No Fox left a young team without a true veteran presence on the floor in the most important minutes of their playoff lives to date. The first half saw San Antonio lose those minutes by 14 points in a game — and series — that has become about the margins and advantages. The second half was merely a manifestation of its predecessor, a lost tale.
In total, the Spurs lost the non-Wemby minutes by 19 and the non-Fox minutes by 24 . “It was a punch,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said following OKC’s 123-108 win to take a 2-1 series lead. “Credit them, they were ready to play and they got us early in stops and transition.
I just thought we showed great poise to understand the 48-minute nature of the game. I thought the bench right off the bat — Alex, Cason, JayWill, Jared — those guys gave us a huge lift all night, but it started there, getting us into a manageable spot. Great poise by the team.
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