The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from the NBA Finals, and Stephon Castle made the stakes clear after Thursday night’s 118-91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Win or go home,” Castle said when asked about Game 7. “Nothing else matters for the next 48 hours for us. So get all the recovery, watch all the film you need to watch to have our minds and bodies ready for that 48 minutes.”
Castle finished with 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds and one turnover as San Antonio forced a deciding game in the Western Conference finals. The Spurs used a dominant third quarter, including a 22-0 run while holding Oklahoma City scoreless for roughly eight minutes, to even the series at 3-3.
After the game, Castle pointed to defense as the reason San Antonio regained control of the matchup.
“I just think all of our focus and attention was on the defensive end,” Castle said. “I don’t think scoring against them has been a problem for us. I think just our self-inflicted mistakes like turnovers and allowing them to get offensive rebounds and easy buckets is what slows us down.”
He added that stops created easier offense.
“So when we’re focused on defense and we’re getting stops and being able to get out and run and get easy looks, it makes the game pretty simple for us,” Castle said.
The second-year guard also revisited a theme he raised earlier in the series — desperation. After San Antonio responded to a 127-114 loss in Game 5 with its most complete effort of the conference finals, Castle said difficult situations continue to bring out the Spurs’ best habits.
“I just think when we see adversity and our backs are against the wall, we perform,” Castle said. “And not just performing like playing well and making shots. I think our energy is always in the right places and we do all the little things to give us the best opportunity to win.”
“So when we’re desperate like that and our backs are against the wall, I’m probably most confident,” he added.
Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, becoming only the third player in franchise history alongside David Robinson and Tim Duncan to record five postseason games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. Dylan Harper added 18 points, while Devin Vassell scored 12 and contributed two blocks.
Castle also praised Harper, who bounced back with an efficient outing after looking hesitant in Game 5.
“When he plays with confidence, I don’t think there’s anybody his age that’s that good,” Castle said. “He’s been a big part of our team all year. So we need him. When he plays like that, we’re pretty hard to beat.”
Castle credited rookie Carter Bryant for helping defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was held to 15 points on 6-for-18 shooting.
“For him to be a rookie and come in and there’s no drop off defensively, that alone says a lot,” Castle said. “In the playoffs every possession matters.”
Saturday’s Game 7 in Oklahoma City will be Castle’s first, but he said his focus remains simple.
“Somebody’s season is going to end that night and we don’t want it to be ours,” Castle said. “Who doesn’t want to play in a Game 7? To be able to do it in the Western Conference Finals in my second year is definitely a blessing. So yeah, I’m ready for it.”
