The Western Conference finals shift to Oklahoma City for a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday night after the San Antonio Spurs evened the series with a 103-82 victory on Sunday. The series is tied 2-2 heading into the pivotal matchup in Oklahoma City.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Game 4 win. His performance helped San Antonio level the series and set up a return to Oklahoma City for the winner-take-advantage showdown.
Wembanyama also reached a historical milestone. He joined Bill Walton (1977) as the only players since blocks became an official statistic in 1974 to record 300 points, 150 rebounds and 50 blocks in their first career postseason, according to ESPN Research.
Oklahoma City struggled in Game 4, scoring its fewest points in any game, regular season or postseason, since Dec. 2, 2021, according to ESPN. Reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting, snapping a streak of nine straight road playoff games with at least 20 points, according to ESPN.
With the series tied, historical trends favor the Game 5 winner. Teams that won Game 5 in a best-of-7 series tied 2-2 went on to win the series 82 percent of the time (198-44), according to ESPN. The Spurs faced a comparable situation in the semifinals, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 before ultimately winning that series.
