The San Antonio Spurs evened the Western Conference finals at two games apiece after a 103-82 Game 4 win over the Thunder on the strength of a near-perfect defensive performance.
The Spurs' defensive strategy proved sustainable as the series shifts to Game 5 on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. It was a masterful performance that fundamentally changed the series momentum.
Mitch Johnson's Strategic Adjustment
San Antonio's young coach Mitch Johnson made a massive adjustment in Game 4 by backing off all the high traps and double teams on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and committing to covering him for most of the game with a single defender.
Instead of sending double teams as soon as SGA crossed half court—as they did through the first three games—the Spurs now had helpers squeezing down to the nail (the free throw line area). This kept them close enough to their shooters to contest 3-pointers when SGA kicked out.
Thunder Bench Production Crumbles
After combining for 68 points and 12 three-pointers in Game 3, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, and Jared McCoin scored just 12 points on two 3-pointers in Game 4.
The Thunder bench, which outscored San Antonio's reserves 76-23 in Game 3, won the bench battle only 32-30 in Game 4. This dramatic drop in production proved decisive.
Wembanyama's Impact on the Series
If OKC isn't winning the bench battle significantly, their starters must beat the Spurs with Victor Wembanyama on the court. For the series, the Spurs have outscored Oklahoma City by 50 points with Wemby on the floor.
They are minus-46 with him off. That's nearly a 100-point swing over four games based on one player's court time. The Thunder were winning this series in the non-Wemby minutes.
Alex Caruso's Shooting Regression
Caruso was the story through three games. A 29% regular-season 3-point shooter had basically morphed into Steph Curry, making 14 three-pointers at a 61% clip.
He didn't score a single point in Game 4, and OKC shot just 18% from three as a team. Much of this was due to how much more contested their shots were as the Spurs stopped ignoring them to send multiple bodies at SGA.
SGA Held in Check
SGA scored just 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting—a far cry from his usual production. The Spurs succeeded for three reasons:
First: San Antonio has great individual perimeter defenders. Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Devin Vassell proved throughout this series that they can stay in front of SGA and apply physical pressure that impacts his rhythm.
Second: The Spurs were still helping a lot on SGA. They crowded his driving lanes and swoop down on him whenever he gained any advantage.
Third: It's about the spots at which they were helping. When it's 35 feet from the basket, they can't get back to shooters. When it's at the elbow or anywhere inside the 3-point line, they can as long as they're collectively committed. The Spurs were totally committed.