Jason brings us back courtside as the Western Conference Finals continue with recaps of Games 3 and 4.
These two teams are among the best defenses in the NBA. Aided by the home crowd and their connection as a team, the Spurs began the game on a 15-0 run. The Thunder are noted for calm in the face of adversity. After the opening run, the Thunder outscored the Spurs by 30 for the remainder of the game. The bench of the Thunder made the difference, scoring 76 of their 123 points. The Thunder are deeper, in the sense that they can use their bench as another starting unit, as opposed to simply spelling the starters.
SGA had 26 points, despite making only 6 of 17 shots. He added 12 assists. As noted, the bench was the driving force, with two players nearly outscoring SGA.
It felt like Victor Wembanyama disappeared. He scored 26 points, but he only had 4 rebounds, which means he wasn’t effective at helping the Spurs end defensive possessions, or at getting second shots on offense.
A note on terms: if you ever hear a commentator or analyst talk about the “weak side” or “strong side,” especially on defense, the terms indicate what side of the floor the ball is on. The side opposite the ball is the weak side. You may hear “help side defense,” and this refers to the position of defenders on the weak side. Unless the defense is outnumbered or surprised, the guy or girl with the ball has a defender right in front of him or her. If the ball handler gets past that primary defender, the help side defense has to prevent an easy run to the rim. You may hear a scout, analyst, or coach talk about “rim protection.” This refers to a defender’s ability to prevent layups and dunks, as well as blocking shots. Since Wembanyama is the Defensive Player of The Year and was the league leader in blocks, he’s quite effective at rim protection. He could block jump shots at the three-point line if necessary, but the Spurs have decided that he can be most effective near the rim as a failsafe if the primary defender and any help gets beaten.
This game ended 123-108, and the Thunder took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Probably the biggest coaching adjustment is the decision not to double-team SGA. The Spurs gave up more than 20 uncontested 3-point shots in each of the first three games, a direct result of double teams on SGA.
The calculation is this: SGA may go for 30 or 35 points on a good night, but he probably won’t go for 40 or 50 points (or more). On the other hand, if he scores 30 points and has 12-15 assists, he’s creating easy opportunities for other players, which could add up to a Thunder victory. They didn’t precisely play 1-1 defense against him; they flashed a second guy in front of him, but left that second man free enough to get back to his primary responsibility. Call it “1.5” defense.
The Spurs’ calculated risk worked. The Thunder scored 19 points in each of the first two quarters, and scored 22 points in the third and fourth quarters. Needless to say, 82 points won’t win an NBA playoff game.
The Thunder made 33 percent of their shots overall, and only 18 percent from 3 point range. Besides Hartenstein, who made 6 of 11 shots, two other players went 1 for 2, the only statistical improvements for such a terrible shooting game.
By contrast, the only time the Spurs scored fewer than 25 in a quarter—the second quarter—they nevertheless outscored Oklahoma City, 22-19. The poor play of center-forward Chet Holmgren became more noticeable here, and his inability to counteract Wembanyama or to create offense himself will be an issue for the Thunder going forward.
The Spurs’ young guards are quick and athletic. They are able to take risks on defense, knowing Wembanyama is back there to clean up any mistakes. It worked on this occasion. Spurs win, 103-82, for an even series headed back to Oklahoma City for Game 5. 
Jason Kettinger is Associate Editor of Open for Business. He writes on politics, sports, faith and more.
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