The San Antonio Spurs responded in emphatic fashion, crushing the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 to level the Western Conference Finals at 3-3 and force a winner-takes-all Game 7.
It will be played in Oklahoma City on Sunday morning (AEST).
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After being outplayed on the road in Game 5, the San Antonio Spurs bounced back on Friday, leaning on suffocating defence, a high-tempo offence, and a standout display from Victor Wembanyama to take control from start to finish.
Post-game, Spurs guard Stephon Castle added extra heat to the rivalry, saying the Spurs believe they are the better side, setting the tone for a fiery Game 7 decider.
From the opening tip, San Antonio looked like the more desperate side. The Spurs buried eight three-pointers in the first quarter alone to storm out to a 35-22 lead, while their defensive pressure immediately disrupted the Thunder’s rhythm.
Any hopes of an Oklahoma City comeback disappeared in the third quarter.
San Antonio exploded on a devastating 20-0 run, holding the Thunder scoreless for more than seven minutes in one of Oklahoma City’s worst stretches of the entire season. Remarkably, 11 of those unanswered points came while Wembanyama rested on the bench, highlighting the Spurs’ complete team performance on both ends of the floor.
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The Thunder were outscored 32-13 in the period, their lowest-scoring quarter of the season, as the game quickly turned into a blowout. By the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, both teams had emptied their benches with Game 7 already looming large.
Wembanyama bounced back strongly after a frustrating Game 5 performance, where Oklahoma City’s physical defence limited his impact around the rim. Instead of forcing the issue inside early, the French phenom stretched the floor and immediately found his rhythm from deep.
He knocked down two early triples to spark San Antonio’s fast start and finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals while shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
His energy on the defensive end also lifted the Spurs throughout the game, helping fuel transition opportunities and keeping Oklahoma City’s offence under constant pressure.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was restricted to a season-low 15 points. The reigning MVP played 28 minutes but struggled to find rhythm, finishing 6-of-18 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point range, with just 4 assists and 1 rebound. It marked one of his quietest outings of the postseason.
He had dropped 32 points in the previous game, but this time the Spurs defence stayed locked in, denying him space and forcing tougher looks throughout.
OKC take 3-2 lead over Spurs | 02:12
Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault pointed to both execution and credit due to the opposition after the loss.
“I was pretty encouraged last game at the cracks we were able to get him,” Daigneault said.
“And obviously, I don’t think we were able to do that as well tonight. I’d never discredit the defence and the opponent. There’s always that. There are things I think we can do better.”
Jalen Williams returned despite a hamstring issue, while Ajay Mitchell remained sidelined with a calf strain.
The Spurs took control in a decisive third quarter, breaking the game open with a 20-4 surge that left the visitors unable to recover.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 31.1 points during the regular season en route to his second straight MVP award, has been more tightly contained in this series. It was his lowest scoring game since a 14-point outing in the 2025 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
San Antonio’s supporting cast also delivered timely contributions, with rookie guard Dylan Harper providing a major spark off the bench after a quiet previous stretch in the series. Harper attacked aggressively, pushed the pace and helped ignite the Spurs whenever Oklahoma City threatened to settle defensively.
For the Spurs, the formula was clear. When they defend with intensity, force turnovers and get out in transition, they become incredibly difficult to stop. Their speed and athleticism consistently put pressure on the Thunder defence, particularly during the decisive third-quarter run.
Now, after surviving their first elimination game of the postseason, the young Spurs core heads into Oklahoma City with all the momentum and a spot in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks on the line.