Down 1-0 to the San Antonio Spurs after a double-overtime thriller in the series opener, Wednesday night's Game 2 is a must-win for the Thunder.
If the Thunder lose Game 2, that will make six losses in seven games against the Spurs this season. They clearly have their number, and winning four of their next five to close out the series seems unlikely.
SGA Struggles in Game 1
The Thunder need a better showing from back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who made just seven of 23 shots in Game 1.
He had several shots that usually fall but didn't, particularly when he attacked early before San Antonio could fully set up its wall to stop him.
The credit goes to Victor Wembanyama and a stifling Spurs defense that sold out to stop him.
Spurs Disrupt SGA's Driving Game
In the regular season, SGA averaged 18.8 drives per game and scored 74.8% of the time, either by bucket or free-throw trip. He was essentially unstoppable.
Against the Spurs, that efficiency dropped significantly. In four regular-season games, the Spurs forced SGA to pass out of his drives 50% of the time with just a 60% score rate.
In Game 1, SGA had 30 drives but managed only five buckets (53% score rate) as the Spurs forced a 53% pass rate.
Spurs Defensive Strategy
The Spurs built a wall in front of SGA that, combined with Wembanyama's presence, ruled out the possibility of him getting deep into the paint.
Option 1: Kick out to shooters. San Antonio's perimeter defenders sank down to clog driving lanes, forcing kickouts to players like Alex Caruso, who took 14 three-pointers.
Option 2: Force tough, contested jump shots. Of SGA's 23 shots, 19 were jumpers, with only four categorized as "wide open."
This approach forced SGA into substantially less desirable scoring opportunities throughout Game 1.