The Western Conference finals shifted back to San Antonio tied 1-1 after the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night at Paycom Center. After the loss, Victor Wembanyama pointed to execution, turnovers and effort as the biggest reasons the Spurs could not take a 2-0 series lead.
The 22-year-old finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, but San Antonio committed 21 turnovers and allowed Oklahoma City to score 27 points off those mistakes. The Thunder also dominated bench production 57-25.
Wembanyama was direct when discussing the Spurs’ ball security, especially after Dylan Harper exited with a right leg injury and De’Aaron Fox missed the game because of ankle soreness.
“Not well,” Wembanyama said when asked how the Spurs handled losing two primary ball handlers. “We got to help our ball handlers more and take care of the ball.”
The Spurs nearly erased the deficit late in the fourth quarter after Harrison Barnes cut the lead to 99-97 with 9:06 remaining. Oklahoma City answered with an 11-0 run that changed the game.
Wembanyama said the most frustrating part of the loss was how much energy San Antonio used to climb back before letting the game slip again.
“I would say it’s spending so much energy on catching back up to the score and then letting it go away,” he said.
Oklahoma City adjusted physically after losing Game 1, and Isaiah Hartenstein played a major role with 10 points and 13 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. Wembanyama acknowledged that battle under the basket became one of the defining parts of Game 2.
“As I just said, it’s all in the scouting,” Wembanyama said. “We have to trust the scouting. We have to trust it and do our work early. It’s straight effort.”
When asked if the rebounding issues were simply about effort or if tactical changes were needed, the Spurs star said the team already understood the game plan.
“When I mean straight effort the tactics we all know it by heart, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy and we have to work through it,” he said.
Despite the loss, Stephon Castle continued his strong postseason with 25 points and eight assists while attacking Oklahoma City’s defense throughout the night. Wembanyama praised the rookie guard afterward.
“His competitiveness is unmatched, and we definitely need it,” Wembanyama said. “He gets us out of a lot of tough situations.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a quiet Game 1 with 30 points and nine assists. The Thunder MVP consistently created advantages in the middle of the floor after San Antonio limited him more effectively earlier in the series.
Wembanyama said the Spurs were prepared for Oklahoma City’s adjustments but failed to execute consistently.
“He makes shots, but nothing that he hasn’t made all season,” Wembanyama said about Gilgeous-Alexander. “So we worked on it and we just didn’t apply as much.”
The series now moves to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday with both teams dealing with injury concerns. Oklahoma City guard Jalen Williams left Game 2 because of hamstring tightness, while the Spurs await updates on Harper and Fox.
