Wembanyama drops 33 as Spurs rout Thunder to even Western Conference finals 2-2
Victor Wembanyama scored 33 points and hit a 40-foot first-half buzzer-beater as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 to even the Western Conference finals 2-2. He set the Spurs' rookie postseason scoring record in the process.
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama poured in 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs hammered the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 in Game 4 on Sunday, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece.
Wembanyama set the tone in the opening half with a 40-foot buzzer-beater launched from the center-court Spurs logo — the longest field goal by any San Antonio player in the playoffs since tracking began in 2014. He finished with eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks while attacking the rim relentlessly through the first three minutes of the game.
The 21-year-old French center also rewrote the Spurs' rookie postseason record book. With 324 points across his first career playoff run, Wembanyama surpassed Stephen Jackson's franchise mark of 307 set in 2003. He joined Bill Walton (1977) as the only players to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds and 50 blocks in a first career postseason since blocks became an official NBA statistic in 1974.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama's aggression set the standard for the rest of the roster, and that his competitive response had been a defining feature of the season.
The performance came after a lopsided Game 3 loss that prompted an unusual intervention. Former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich addressed the team in the locker room afterward, his first such talk of the season, veteran guard De'Aaron Fox said. Fox described Game 3 as one of the worst performances of the year in terms of mentality and said the team committed to playing more physically and at a faster tempo in response.
Game 5 returns to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The winner of the series will advance to the NBA Finals against the Eastern Conference champion.