The San Antonio Spurs blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder by 27 points in Game 6 on Thursday, forcing a deciding game Saturday night in Oklahoma City. It was the Thunder's first wire-to-wire playoff loss since 2016. That earlier loss, according to CBS Sports, also came courtesy of the Spurs.
The series has been lopsided in nearly every game, just not always in the same direction. The Thunder have won their three games by an average of 12.3 points. The Spurs have been more dominant in their wins, taking their three victories by an average of 18.3 points. The only game that felt close from start to finish was the double-overtime opener.
Game 6 looked briefly like it might be different. Oklahoma City cut the deficit to seven at halftime. Then San Antonio went on a 20-0 run in the third quarter and never looked back.
Victor Wembanyama led the way for the Spurs. He finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds, added two steals and three blocks, and knocked down four three-pointers after going 0-for-5 from deep in Game 5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the opposite night, scoring a season-low 15 points and going 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson acknowledged what his team is walking into. He said San Antonio would "get prepared to go into a hostile environment against the defending champs in the Western Conference Finals against a team that's done it multiple times and knows exactly what it takes. I would expect to get their best punch."
On Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles in the loss, Johnson did not read much into the numbers. "Sometimes players make shots or miss shots, especially players of his caliber," he said.
The series has featured two teams that were the best in the NBA during the regular season. Both run lockdown defenses and carry first-team All-NBA players. Yet the two stars have rarely been dominant on the same night. When Wembanyama has been at his best, Gilgeous-Alexander has been quiet. When SGA has taken over, Wembanyama has been limited. Game 7 is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
