00:00New chat search chats, library notebook spurs dominate thunder.
00:04Even series man UTD nearing 43 million pounds Ederson transfer playoff injuries impact Western Conference Finals conversation with Gemini.
00:14Write this news in easy 1,000 words.
00:18S.A.N. Antonio, catching the ball just past the San Antonio B.
00:23NCH in front of the scores table.
00:25Victor Wimbanyama needed only three dribbles before his feet hit the silver and black Spurs logo at center court.
00:32From there, Wimbanyama launched a shot that punctuated a hard-hitting first half that would power the Spurs to a
00:39103-82 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday,
00:44while changing the trajectory of the Western Conference Finals.
00:48Bang! I feel like with who we are, we need to start games like this, Wimbanyama said with a series
00:54tie to 2-2.
00:55I was just thinking shoot to score. I wasn't messing around.
00:59Wimbanyama's 40-foot first-half buzzer beater was the longest field goal by a Spurs player in the playoffs since
01:05genius IQ started tracking in 2014.
01:08Most importantly, it built on the tone San Antonio set from the opening tip.
01:13Wimbanyama dropped 33 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks while setting the franchise record for most points,
01:22324.
01:23In a player's first career postseason, besting Steven Jackson's record of 307 set in 2003.
01:30Editors' picks, NBA playoff takeaways, Spurs route thunder to even the WCF, 2-2.
01:38NBA insiders, punched us in our face early, OKC flounders in G4.
01:44Tim McMahon, as it happened, Spurs blow out thunder to even Western Conference Finals.
01:49ESPN staff, Wimbanyama also joined Bill Walton, 1977, as the only players to tally 300 points, 150 rebounds of 50
02:01blocks in their first career postseason since 1974, when blocks became an official statistic.
02:07I saw a lot, and I'm not surprised, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
02:11Our competitive response all year has been pretty good, and he's been at the forefront of that more than not.
02:17Tonight, he felt, from my perspective, an obligation to set a tone for us in a variety of ways.
02:23The aggression was a reflection of that.
02:26In the aftermath of a blowout loss in Game 3, former Spurs coach Greg Popovich addressed the team in the
02:33locker room.
02:33A first this season, according to veteran guard De'Aaron Fox.
02:37By the end of the night, when discussing tactics for combating Oklahoma City's physicality, San Antonio talked about not only
02:45the desire to hit back, but the need to hit first.
02:48Every team gets blown out, but just mentality-wise, I think that was one of the worst games we had
02:53probably of the season, Fox said.
02:56Then, Pop came in after the game.
02:58He saw it, we all saw it.
02:59We all felt it.
03:00But, coming into this game, we wanted to make sure that mentality was out the door.
03:05Even if we lost this game, as long as we came in with the right mentality and played the right
03:10way, we could be okay with losing the game.
03:13The way that we lost Game 3, I think, hurt more than losing the game, and that was pretty much
03:19for everybody in the locker room.
03:21OKC punched San Antonio in the mouth in Game 3, and the Spurs wanted to return the favor.
03:26They played at a breakneck pace to prevent the Thunder from consistently setting their defense, while setting more screens for
03:34one another to create opportunities.
03:36Wimbanyama also attacked aggressively, taking four shots in the first 319 while scoring or assisting on 17 points in the
03:45opening quarter.
03:45San Antonio made 10 field goals on 10 assists in the first quarter, marking only the fourth time this season
03:52it finished a quarter with an assist rate of 100%.
03:55San Antonio also stayed home on Oklahoma City's shooters, resulting in the Thunder finishing one of 11 from deep in
04:04the first half.
04:04Oklahoma City had previously connected on one or fewer three-pointers in a half only once this season, January 7th
04:13against the Utah Jazz.
04:14The Spurs held the Thunder scoreless in the first quarter for a span of 5-0-8 on the way,
04:19to building a 25-point lead.
04:21We really paid attention to detail a lot better than Game 3, Castle said.
04:26Watching the film, we gave them a lot of straight-line drives and just not rotating how we practiced.
04:32Hitting first just feeds energy throughout the team, especially defensively being the point of attack.
04:39If I set the tone in the backcourt, my teammates are more likely to guard and play with that same
04:45kind of physicality throughout the possession.
04:48Wimbanyama drilled a 27-footer just 24 seconds into the game to set the tone on offense,
04:54then did the same on the other end of the court one minute later by blocking a Chet Holmgren two
04:59-handed dunk attempt.
04:59We didn't do nothing unexpected, but the truth is we had never been in this kind of situation before, when
05:06Bantamus said.
05:07It was our first deficit in a playoff series, and we just responded.
05:11But it was nothing amazing.
05:13It wasn't magic.
05:14We just did what we needed to do.
05:16The series is far from over.
05:18We gotta get six more wins before we can rest.
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05:42Thunder Held to Worst Offensive Effort in Years in Game 4 Loss
05:46Tim McMahon
05:47May 25th, 2026, 11.09 a.m.
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05:58S.A.N. Antonio
06:00More than eight minutes in a Sunday's Game 4
06:03The Oklahoma City Thunder's only source of offensive production was a series of floaters by center Isaiah Hartenstein.
06:11Hartenstein cooled off and none of the other Oklahoma City players got rolling against the smothering San Antonio Spurs defense.
06:19The result was a 103-82 loss, evening the Western Conference Finals at 2-2 as the series shift back
06:27to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Tuesday.
06:30They just punched us in our face early, said Thunder superstar Shy Gilgis Alexander, who finished with 19 points on
06:386 of 15 shooting.
06:40I think they just did a good job of being the aggressors.
06:43They were in us, forcing turnovers, being physical.
06:47Spurs, with Pop's help, turned G3 dud into tie series.
06:51Michael C., right?
06:53NBA Playoff Takeaways
06:55Spurs route Thunder to even the WCF 2-2
06:58NBA Insiders
07:00SGA
07:01Jokic
07:02When Banyma Headline All-NBA Teams
07:05Dave McMiniman
07:06It was the worst offensive performance in years for the Thunder, who were missing two of their top three creators
07:12with Jalen Williams, left hamstring soreness, and Ajay Mitchell, right calf strain, sidelined by injuries.
07:20Oklahoma City last scored fewer than 82 points in a game on December 2, 2021, when a then-rebuilding Thunder
07:27were held to 79 points in a record-setting 73-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
07:33Oklahoma City last scored fewer than 84 points in a record-setting 74 points in a record-setting 74 points
07:33in a record-setting 74 points in a record-setter.
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