# \[The Athletic\] 文班亚马进度超前——雷霆再次在玩火
**URL:** https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46798
**Category:** 环球刺讯
**Tags:** 2025-26赛季, 维克托-文班亚马
**Created:** [2026 年5 月 25 日 13:12 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46798 "2026-05-25T13:12:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### 作者：  [@TheAthletic](https://chinaspurs.com/u/TheAthletic)
#### 发布日期： [2026 年5 月 25 日 13:12 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46798/1 "2026-05-25T13:12:19Z")
By Sam Amick | The Athletic, 2026-05-25 11:30:17
_《The Athletic》正在为您带来_[_2026年NBA西部决赛_](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/spurs-vs-thunder-live-updates-nba-playoffs-game-5-score-result/EgXsIpQlZT5M/)_第五场_[_马刺对阵雷霆_](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/spurs-vs-thunder-live-updates-nba-playoffs-game-5-score-result/EgXsIpQlZT5M/)_的实时报道。_
圣安东尼奥——这一次的致命一击，并没有上一次那般狂妄。
在西部决赛第一场中，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 投中了一记32英尺外的超远三分将比赛拖入双加时，那球是他极致状态与骨子里狂妄的产物；而与此不同的是，他在第四场上半场结束前投中的那记半场超远三分，则是逼入绝境后的爆发与进化的体现。他所在的圣安东尼奥马刺队已经见识过，俄克拉荷马城雷霆队在遭遇迎头痛击时是多么沉稳——在周五的第三场比赛中，马刺开局打出的15-0领先优势，就像雷霆大个子切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 在本系列赛中隐形了一般，瞬间化为乌有。如今在周日晚上，历史再度重演，他们在首节曾一度领先多达15分，但随后分差又被蚕食到了个位数。
于是，文班亚马运球过掉了蝉联MVP的谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)，在霜冻银行中心球馆地板上马刺队标的边缘急停跳投，将球投出。贾里德·麦凯恩 (Jared McCain) 就在防守位置上，但他只是象征性地伸手干扰了一下，因为他显然不相信这球真的能进。凯森·华莱士 (Cason Wallace) 也在最近的位置目睹了这一切。但当皮球空心入网，在半场结束时将马刺的领先优势扩大到12分，并为随后那场[103-82的大胜](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46766)奠定基调时，这就好比文班亚马砸碎了最近的除颤器玻璃，用电击为球队重新注入了生命力——因为如果雷霆取得3-1的系列赛领先，马刺实际上就已经被判了死刑。相反，俄克拉荷马城错失了这次将文班亚马和他的马刺队打回原形（屈居次席）的机会，而NBA的权力天平也再次变得悬而未决。
时间会证明，雷霆在日后回首这个夜晚时，是否会感到无比懊悔。
正如我们在去年这个时候所看到的那样，雷霆往往会让那些危险的对手纠缠得比大多数客观观察者预测的还要久。考虑到丹佛掘金队在常规赛比雷霆少赢了18场，同时还经历着各种[管理层动荡](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6269100/2025/04/10/nuggets-firings-mike-malone-calvin-booth-nba/)，雷霆去年在季后赛次轮居然被掘金拖入抢七大战，这在当时令人大跌眼镜。总决赛对阵印第安纳步行者队时也是如此，步行者在常规赛同样落后雷霆18个胜场，但他们看起来已经准备好在抢七大战中上演下克上的奇迹，结果却遭遇了泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 在首节因右侧跟腱断裂而黯然退场的悲剧。
这两支球队的各自老板和高层决策者都将这些表现视为希望的曙光，认为自己的球队已经处于可以 could 击败联盟霸主的射程之内，并在休赛期做出了关键引援，因为他们相信——信不信由你——俄克拉荷马城并非不可战胜。虽然这一前提在当时的对决中被证明是错误的，但在面对如今的最新形势时，它依然具有某种警示意义。这支马刺队，尤其是文班亚马，绝非易与之辈。
免得有人忘记：圣安东尼奥在常规赛一直与雷霆死磕，争夺联盟最佳战绩，直到常规赛结束，他们距离这支卫冕冠军也仅有两场胜差。更重要的是，本赛季在双方的9次交手中，马刺已经击败了雷霆6次（包括去年12月的NBA季中锦标赛半决赛）。这样的样本量足以给这群年轻的挑战者注入极大的信心，或许能够弥补他们在季后赛经验上的巨大劣势——而这原本被认为是马刺的致命死穴。
然而，就在仅仅两天前，文班亚马在[第三场失利后的新闻发布会](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46725)上，听上去还像是一个陷入绝境、不断自我怀疑的年轻新星，一边反思，一边解释自己为什么需要成为一个更好的队友。但转眼间，他就交出了一份足以让整个联盟为之震撼的答卷。首当其冲的，就是雷霆。
他砍下了33分（22投11中，其中三分球7投3中）、8个篮板、5次助攻、3次盖帽和2次抢断。但最令人震撼的并非他的数据统计，而是他冲击雷霆内线的方式——他主要针对以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein)，期间还穿插着几次对霍姆格伦的无情惩罚——这不禁让人开始怀疑，这支马刺队最终是否真的能上演下克上的奇迹。
“事实是，我们以前从未遇到过这种情况，”文班亚马说，“这是我们在季后赛系列赛中第一次落后，而我们做出了回应。但这没什么大惊小怪的，不是什么魔法。我们只是做了该做的事。系列赛远未结束，在能够休息之前，我们还需要再赢六场。”
有趣的是：文班亚马显然忘记了马刺在次轮对阵明尼苏达森林狼队时输掉了系列赛首战，这显然表明他从未真正担心过那个对手。而如果你是雷霆的一员——从总经理萨姆·普雷斯蒂 (Sam Presti) 到主教练马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daigneault)——他话里的最后一部分才最应该引起警惕。
文班亚马如此轻描淡写地表示马刺计划再赢六场，这无时无刻不在提醒人们，他的心中只有一个目标。这本身并不是针对雷霆，雷霆只是他夺冠道路上必须清除的障碍。如今，四场大战战罢，而雷霆最核心的球员们在本系列赛的大部分时间里表现平平，这为接下来的精彩大结局拉开了序幕。
具体而言……
• 吉尔杰斯-亚历山大在本系列赛中未能打出他精英级别的表现（括号内为常规赛数据）：场均24.8分（31.1分），投篮命中率39.2%（55.3%），三分命中率26.7%（38.6%），另有10次助攻（6.6次）、3.3个篮板（4.3个）、2次抢断（1.4次）、1次盖帽（0.8次）、2.8次失误（2.2次），个人净效率值为-4.3（+16.3）。
• 霍姆格伦的表现甚至更糟，他本赛季结束后的首要目标，本该是说服普雷斯蒂不要给密尔沃基雄鹿队打电话商讨关于扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 的交易（括号内为常规赛数据）：场均11.3分（17.1分）、6个篮板（8.9个）、0.8次盖帽（1.9次），个人净效率值仅为0.1（16.1）。
由于受到腿筋伤势的困扰，雷霆在本系列赛中仅让全明星锋卫摇摆人杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 登场了45分钟（仅在第一场和第二场出战）。而在前两轮威廉姆斯缺阵期间表现出色的二年级后卫阿杰·米切尔 (Ajay Mitchell)，在对阵马刺时则彻底隐形，随后又因右侧比目鱼肌（小腿）受伤缺席了第四场比赛。还有这一点：马刺的防守在常规赛中仅次于雷霆和底特律活塞，而在今年季后赛的16支球队中更是冠绝联盟，他们将雷霆限制在了本赛季单场最低得分和最低投篮命中率（33%）。
这一切，都让文班亚马眼中的战意燃烧得更旺。
这位22岁的年轻人显然现在就想成为这个星球上最好的球员，在自己甚至还没到能租车的年龄之前，就将吉尔杰斯-亚历山大和他的雷霆队拉下马，宣告自己对全球篮球王座的统治权。想要实现这一目标绝非易事，毕竟系列赛最后三场比赛中有两场将在佩科姆中心球馆进行，而雷霆本赛季在主场（常规赛加季后赛）的战绩高达39胜8负。
但正如第四场比赛所提醒我们的那样，任何作为文班亚马对手的人，去招惹这团法国烈火都不是明智之举。他正朝着王座大步迈进，无论加冕仪式是在当下还是在未来，而现在，他发现自己有机会比所有人预期的都要早得多地完成这一壮举。
_由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。_
> **点击查看原文：Victor Wembanyama is ahead of schedule — and the Thunder are playing with fire again**
>
> # Victor Wembanyama is ahead of schedule — and the Thunder are playing with fire again
>
> 
>
> _The Athletic has live coverage of_ [_Spurs vs. Thunder_](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/spurs-vs-thunder-live-updates-nba-playoffs-game-5-score-result/EgXsIpQlZT5M/) _in Game 5 of the_ [_2026 NBA Western Conference final_](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/spurs-vs-thunder-live-updates-nba-playoffs-game-5-score-result/EgXsIpQlZT5M/)_._
>
> SAN ANTONIO — This backbreaker wasn’t as audacious as the last.
>
> Unlike Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, when Victor Wembanyama’s 32-footer to force a double overtime was the product of flow state and downright arrogance, his half-court 3-pointer at the end of the first half of Game 4 was born out of desperation and evolution. His San Antonio Spurs had seen how the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t wobble when you hit hard first, with that 15-0 lead in Friday’s Game 3 vanishing like Thunder big man Chet Holmgren in this series. Now here they were again on Sunday night, with a lead that was as large as 15 in the first quarter having shrunk to single digits.
>
> So Wembanyama dribbled around the back-to-back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, pulled up on the far side of the Spurs’ logo on the Frost Bank Center floor and let it fly. Jared McCain was close by, but only mustered a half-hearted contest because he clearly had no fear of the shot actually falling. Cason Wallace had a front-row seat, too. But when the ball found its way to the fabric, pushing the Spurs’ lead to 12 at the break en route to the [103-82 blowout](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7306202/2026/05/24/spurs-thunder-game-4-result-western-conference-finals-nba/) to come, it was as if Wembanyama had broken the glass on the nearest defibrillator and shocked life back into his team, which would have been unofficially done if the Thunder had taken the 3-1 series lead. Instead, Oklahoma City blew this chance to put Wembanyama and his Spurs back in their (second) place, and the balance of power in the NBA is up for grabs again.
>
> Time will tell if the Thunder look back on this night with the deepest of regret.
>
> As we saw around this time a year ago, OKC tends to let dangerous opponents stick around longer than most objective observers might have predicted. The fact that the Thunder allowed the Denver Nuggets to take them to seven games in the second round last year was stunning at the time, considering the Nuggets finished the regular season with 18 fewer wins than the Thunder while enduring all sorts of [organizational turmoil](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6269100/2025/04/10/nuggets-firings-mike-malone-calvin-booth-nba/). Ditto for the finals against the Indiana Pacers, who also finished 18 games behind the Thunder but looked poised to pull off the upset in Game 7, only to see Tyrese Haliburton go down with his right Achilles tendon tear in the first quarter.
>
> The respective ownership groups and top decision-makers of both teams took those performances as signs of hope that their teams were within striking distance of the top dog and made key offseason moves with the belief that Oklahoma City was, believe it or not, gettable. And while that premise was proved false in relation to those matchups, it still serves as a cautionary tale of sorts when it comes to this latest development. These Spurs, and Wembanyama more than all the rest, are not to be trifled with.
>
> Lest anyone forgets, San Antonio pushed OKC for the NBA’s best record all the way until the end of the regular season and landed just two games shy of the defending champs. What’s more, they have now beaten the Thunder six times in nine tries this season (including the NBA Cup semifinal in December). That sort of sample size is more than enough to infuse the young upstarts with extreme confidence, perhaps countering the massive gap in playoff experience that was supposed to be the Spurs’ undoing.
>
> Yet just two days after Wembanyama looked and sounded like a rising star on the ropes, questioning himself in his [news conference after the Game 3 loss](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7302268/2026/05/23/victor-wembanyama-spurs-struggles-game-3-thunder/) while explaining why he needed to be a better teammate, he turned in another one of those performances that should shake the rest of the league to its core. Starting with the Thunder.
>
> He had 33 points (11-of-22 shooting overall; 3 of 7 from 3), eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. But it wasn’t the stat line that spoke loudest. It was the way in which he went at the Thunder’s frontcourt — mostly Isaiah Hartenstein, with a smattering of ill-fated Holmgren assignments mixed in — that made you wonder if these Spurs might pull this upset off after all.
>
> “The truth is that we had never been in this kind of situation before,” Wembanyama said. “It was our first deficit in a playoff series, and we just responded. But it was nothing amazing. It wasn’t magic. We just did what we needed to do. The series is far from over. We got six more wins before we can rest.”
>
> Here’s the funny part: Wembanyama clearly forgot that the Spurs dropped the series opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, which is clearly a sign that he was never truly worried about that particular foe. And if you’re the Thunder — from general manager Sam Presti to coach Mark Daigneault on down — it’s that last part of his messaging that should inspire some sense of concern.
>
> For Wembanyama to casually state that San Antonio plans to win six more times is to be reminded that he has one goal in mind. This isn’t about the Thunder, per se, as much as it is the obstacle they represent. And now, with four games in the books and Oklahoma City’s most pivotal players putting up unimpressive performances for so much of this series, it sets the stage for a fantastic finish.
>
> To wit…
>
> • Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t been his elite-level self in this series (regular-season averages in parentheses): 24.8 points (31.1) on 39.2 percent shooting overall (55.3 percent), 26.7 percent from 3 (38.6 percent), to go with 10 assists (6.6), 3.3 rebounds (4.3), two steals (1.4), one block (0.8), 2.8 turnovers (2.2) and a minus-4.3 individual net rating (plus-16.3).
>
> • Holmgren, whose main goal should be to convince Presti not to call the Milwaukee Bucks about a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade when this season ends, has been even worse (regular-season averages in parentheses): 11.3 points (17.1), six rebounds (8.9), 0.8 blocks (1.9) and an individual net rating of 0.1 (16.1).
>
> The Thunder have also only had All-Star swingman Jalen Williams for a total of 45 minutes in this series (Games 1 and 2) because of his lingering hamstring injury. Ajay Mitchell, the second-year guard who showed out in Williams’ absence during the first two rounds, was a no-show against San Antonio before missing Game 4 with a right soleus (calf) injury. There’s this, too: The Spurs defense that trailed only the Thunder and Detroit Pistons in the regular season, and which has been the best among the 16 playoff teams this postseason, held OKC to its lowest point total and field-goal percentage (33) of the season.
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> All of which feeds the Wembanyama fire.
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> The 22-year-old clearly wants to be the best player on the planet right now, to unseat Gilgeous-Alexander and his Thunder while staking his claim to global hoops supremacy before he can even rent a car. It won’t be easy to pull off, what with two of the final three games of the series coming in the Paycom Center, where the Thunder are 39-8 in the regular season and playoffs.
>
> But as Game 4 reminded us, it’s not wise for any Wembanyama foe to play with this French fire. He’s coming for the throne, whether that coronation comes now or down the line, and now finds himself with a chance to do this deed far earlier than anyone expected.
By Sam Amick, via [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7306611/2026/05/25/victor-wembanyama-spurs-thunder-game-4-nba-playoffs/)
---
### 作者：  [@TheAthletic](https://chinaspurs.com/u/TheAthletic)
#### 发布日期： [2026 年5 月 25 日 18:32 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/46798/2 "2026-05-25T18:32:18Z")
# 热评
> [@Stephen G.](#):
>
> 精彩的报道，文班在这轮极其精彩的系列赛中的发挥更是惊艳（包括那个斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 式的压哨球！），但系列赛的走向最终会取决于健康状况吗？随着雷霆两名关键球员缺阵，以及福克斯的脚踝（或许还有哈珀的腹股沟？）伤势不明朗，双方各自的伤病情况可能会决定最终的胜负。
> 当然，这就是NBA，尤其是季后赛的常态。这完全不影响两支球队在这场可能成为经典对决中的拼搏精神——不仅是今年，在未来的许多年里，这都将是经典的对决。
> [@joe.gear](#):
>
> 我觉得我这么说并不算夸大其词：维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 将会成为那种连不看体育的人都耳熟能详的体育巨星。而且无论哪支球队最终赢下这轮系列赛，这都会成为现实。一个身高7英尺4英寸（约2.24米）还拥有如此运动天赋的球员，真是百年难遇。
>
> > [@Mario L.](#):
> >
> > 说实话，这个评论太赞了，我深有同感，因为我（在意大利的）老妈都知道文班亚马，而她自迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 之后就再没听说过任何NBA球员了。
> [@Jakob E.](#):
>
> 马刺正在进化。他们年轻，学得飞快。他们每场比赛都在进步。雷霆真的是在玩火。马刺的外线防守结合内线坐镇的文班，显然让SGA和切特非常难受。这已经是未来8到9年里最弱的文班了。他在季后赛还只是个刚起步的“婴儿”。想想都觉得不可思议！
> [@Michael B.](#):
>
> 我觉得雷霆更后悔输掉第一场比赛。在季后赛中，偶尔掉一次链子是在所难免的。在这场比赛中，马刺在防守SGA时做出了极佳的调整，并且展现出了一支面临1-3落后绝境的球队该有的拼搏强度（换句话说，跟骑士的表现完全是180度大反转）。
> 在我看来，这轮系列赛胜负难料。雷霆的经验有时确实起到了作用（尤其是在第三场）。但缺少了杰伦·威廉姆斯 (J-Dub) 和阿杰伊 (Ajay Mitchell) 是个大问题，因为他们是仅有的两个能通过担任主要持球人来真正减轻SGA压力的球员。我觉得福克斯和哈珀现在也不是100%的状态，但他们能够上场并做出贡献。如果雷霆无法迎回这两者之一，那可能就会成为决定系列赛走向的因素。（当然，拥有文班本身可能就是决定系列赛的关键因素）。
> [@Steve C.](#):
>
> 确认一下，大比分现在是2-2平，对吧？我还以为我今天一觉醒来，马刺昨晚已经莫名其妙地夺得总冠军了呢。
> [@Mangesh K.](#):
>
> 你在第三场之后还说马刺失去了主场优势和所有势头，现在系列赛战平了，你又说雷霆是在玩火？难道你指望每轮系列赛都像东部那样打成4-0横扫吗？
>
> > [@Terry T.](#):
> >
> > @Mangesh K. 这感觉就像他只是在针对刚刚结束的比赛做出反应，而不是拿着水晶球在预测未来。
> [@David A.](#):
>
> 真是充斥着夸大其词的言论。事实很简单。没有了威廉姆斯（以及影响稍小一点的米切尔），雷霆缺乏足够的火力来为SGA拉开空间。我们之前也看到了，在没有福克斯和哈珀的情况下，马刺（包括文班亚马）打得有多艰难。
> 这里的评论基本上都是一个调调。文班亚马确实是篮球界最具价值的资产，但遗憾的是，目前伤病在比赛结果中起到了很大的作用。
> 指责雷霆在玩火简直是言过其实。
>
> > [@Anonymous U.](#):
> >
> > @David A. 我不这么认为，伤病本就是季后赛的一部分。有人可能会说，雷霆之所以能成为卫冕冠军，唯一的原因就是阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 的腘绳肌拉伤以及哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 的跟腱断裂。这轮系列赛最能说明的是谢伊 (Shai) 的成色。他能否像历史上的那些伟大球员一样，克服自己球队的伤病夺取胜利，还是说他是一个必须阵容齐整才有竞争力的球员？
>
> > [@Billy F.](#):
> >
> > @David A. 你是不是忘了福克斯缺席了两场比赛，哈珀缺席了一场，而且他们现在上场时间都受限？我认为，相比于在雷霆充其量只是第四选择的米切尔，马刺缺席的这两位显然是重要得多的拼图。
> [@Ryan L.](#):
>
> 哈哈，切特无辜躺枪。这孩子确实有天赋，但就目前而言，他被高估了。
> [@Lamberto M.](#):
>
> 两支球队都很棒，但胜负将由裁判决定。如果裁判吹罚公正，马刺还有机会，否则……
>
> > [@6142911](#):
> >
> > @Lamberto M. 拜托，看在圣安东尼奥修女的分上，别再复述这种不实言论了。这轮系列赛马刺的罚球次数明显多得多。第四场比赛的罚球对比是32对18，马刺占优。哈滕施泰因很早就领到了两次犯规，其中第一次显然是文班用胳膊勾着他的肩膀把他拉倒，第二次则是约翰逊向后倒在了哈滕施泰因身上。切特的扣篮被文班盖掉，当时下半身有明显的接触，这通常可以吹犯规，但裁判没吹。于是文班避免了犯规麻烦，而雷霆的两个内线在半场结束时都背上了3次犯规。
> > 斯科特·福斯特 (Scott Foster) 被称为“系列赛延长者”是有原因的。如果雷霆赢下那场比赛，系列赛很可能就结束了。所以判罚并没有偏向雷霆。
> > 话虽如此，雷霆全队的投篮表现确实惨不忍睹。投篮命中率只有30%，三分球33投6中，你是赢不了球的。必须赞扬马刺展现出了更强的活力并打出了一场精彩的比赛，但请别再抱怨什么雷霆赢球全靠裁判了。
> [@Tim D.](#):
>
> 文班完全是独一档的存在。不过，作者也没必要像个混蛋一样去贬低霍姆格伦。毕竟现在谁去防守文班或者在他面前得分，都讨不到什么便宜。
_由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。_
> **点击查看原文：**
>
> #
>
> > [@Stephen G.](#):
> >
> > Great piece, and even greater plays by Wemby (including that Curry-esque buzzer beater!) in this fantastic series, but could the series come down to health? With two key Thunder players out and Fox’s ankle (and maybe Harper’s groin?) tenuous, how the respective medical situations play out could determine the outcome.
> > Of course, that’s life in the NBA and especially in the playoffs. And that’s not to take away from how admirably hard both teams are playing in what could end up being a classic contest - not just this year, but in many to come.
>
> > [@joe.gear](#):
> >
> > I don’t think I am going out on the limb here to say that Victor Wembanyama will be one of those sport figures that even non sports people will know about. And that is regardless of which team goes on to win this series. A 7’4" player with such athletic skills does not come around very often.
> >
> > > [@Mario L.](#):
> > >
> > > Great comment tbh, which I’m able to support personally since my mother (in Italy) knows about Wembanyama and she hadn’t known about any NBA players since Micheal Jordan
>
> > [@Jakob E.](#):
> >
> > Spurs are evolving. They’re learning fast, they’re young. They’re getting better each game. OKC is truly playing with fire. Spurs mix of perimeter D and Wemby in the middle is clearly bothering SGA and Chet. This is the worst Wembys going to be for the next 8-9 years. He’s a playoff baby. Absolutely crazy to think about!
>
> > [@Michael B.](#):
> >
> > I think the Thunder regret losing Game 1 more. It’s hard to go through the playoffs without laying an egg once in a while. Here, the Spurs made a great defensive adjustment in how they guard SGA, and played with type of intensity a team facing a 3-1 deficit should come out with (in other words, 180 degrees from the Cavaliers).
> > This series was a toss up to me. The Thunder’s experience has shown up at times (especially in Game 3). But being down J-Dub and Ajay is a big problem, because those are the two players who can really take pressure off of SGA by being a primary ballhandler. I don’t think Fox or Harper are 100% right now, but they are able to take the floor and contribute. If OKC can’t get one of those two back, that might be the difference in this series. (Of course, having Wemby might be the difference in the series).
>
> > [@Steve C.](#):
> >
> > Just checking, the series is 2-2, correct? Was thinking maybe I woke up today and Spurs had somehow won the world title last night.
>
> > [@Mangesh K.](#):
> >
> > You said after game 3 that the spurs lost all momentum with home court and now that the series is tied OKC is playing with fire? Do you expect every series to be 4-0 like the east
> >
> > > [@Terry T.](#):
> > >
> > > @Mangesh K. It’s almost like he’s writing a reaction to what happened in the game, rather than using his crystal ball to write about the future.
>
> > [@David A.](#):
> >
> > A lot of overblown rhetoric. The facts are simple. Without Williams (and Mitchell to a lesser extent), OKC lacks the firepower to create space for SGA. We saw how SA fared, including Wembenyama, without Fox and Harper.
> > All the comments here take more or less the same line. Wembenyama is the most valuable asset in basketball, but right now injuries are, unfortunately, playing a big role in the results.
> > Accusing OKC of playing with fire is hyperbole.
> >
> > > [@Anonymous U.](#):
> > >
> > > @David A. I don’t believe so, injuries are just part of the playoffs. One could argue the only reason OKC is a defending champion is because Aaron Gordon’s hamstring fell apart and then Hali’s Achilles. This series says more about Shai, than anything else. Can he overcome injuries on his own team to win (similar to great players in the past) or is he somebody who needs a full compliment to be competitive
> >
> > > [@Billy F.](#):
> > >
> > > @David A. Are you forgetting that Fox missed two games, Harper missed a game, and both are limited participants now? I’d argue those are way bigger pieces to miss than Mitchell, who is at best a fourth option on the Thunder.
>
> > [@Ryan L.](#):
> >
> > Love Chet catching strays. Kid has talent for sure but to this point he’s overrated.
>
> > [@Lamberto M.](#):
> >
> > Both teams are great, but the win will be determined by the refs. If they officiate fairly, the Spurs have a chance, otherwise…
> >
> > > [@6142911](#):
> > >
> > > @Lamberto M. For the love of the San Antonio Nuns could you stop parroting this false narrative. The spurs have shot more free throws this series by a wide margin. Game 4 was 32-18 in favor of the Spurs. Hartenstein gets two foul’s early with Wemby clearly the one pulling Hartenstein down with arm over his shoulder and the second is when Johnson falls backwards onto Hartenstein. Chet dunk gets blocked by Wemby with the typical contact to lower body that can get called a foul but isn’t. So Wemby avoids foul trouble and Thunder bigs both have 3 fouls in the first half.
> > > Scott Foster is called the extender for a reason. If Thunder win that game the series is likely over. So calls didn’t go the Thunder’s way.
> > > Now all of that being said the Thunder were horrendous shooting as a team. You can’t shoot 30% overall and 6-33 from 3 and win a game. Credit to Spurs for coming out with more energy and playing a great game but please stop the whining that Thunder only win because of the officials.
>
> > [@Tim D.](#):
> >
> > Wemby is in a class by himself. No reason for the author to diss on Holmgren like an a-hole, though. No one is having much luck trying to guard Wemby or score against him.
via [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7306611/2026/05/25/victor-wembanyama-spurs-thunder-game-4-nba-playoffs/#comments)