San Antonio fell 127-114 to Oklahoma City in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday as Victor Wembanyama shot his worst postseason mark at 27 percent from the field.
Wembanyama finished with 20 points on 12-of-12 free throws while adding six rebounds and three blocks. But he took just 15 field goal attempts and missed all five of his three-pointers. The Spurs now face elimination in Game 6 Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena.
Wembanyama did not speak to the media after the game and left the AT&T Center without addressing reporters.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was blunt about what San Antonio needs from its superstar.
"He's got to take more than 15 shots," Johnson said. "Even with the 12 free throws, he's going to have to score more than 20 points for sure."
The Thunder’s frontcourt duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein outrebounded the Spurs 26-12. Holmgren added 19 points while Hartenstein contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Oklahoma City now holds a 3-2 series lead.
San Antonio’s two biggest wins in the series came when Wembanyama scored 41 and 33 points. The Spurs struggled to generate consistent offense when he wasn’t in rhythm Tuesday.
Stephon Castle acknowledged the challenge of defending Wembanyama but stressed the need for him to be more aggressive.
"I think they send so many bodies towards him, it's hard at times," Castle said. "But yeah, he's our best player. We need him to be aggressive."
Johnson also took responsibility for San Antonio’s shortcomings.
"OKC did a good job," he said. "We've got to do a better job. Even when we had advantages, we just didn't make simple plays and take advantage of the opportunity."
De'Aaron Fox relayed a message from Wembanyama to the team at halftime.
"We don't want our season to end this week," Fox said. "You have to be willing to fight back because you lose today, then lose in two days, your season is over."
Game 6 tips off Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Spurs must win to force a Game 7 back in San Antonio.
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to take a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 32 points and nine assists, anchoring a balanced Thunder attack that outlasted the Spurs on the road.
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