By Joel Lorenzi | The Athletic, 2026-05-27 14:37:54
The Athletic 正在为您图文直播2026年西部决赛第六场：雷霆对阵马刺的比赛，敬请关注2026年西部决赛的最新动态。
俄克拉荷马城——俄克拉荷马雷霆队给自己编织了一个贯穿整个赛季的谎言。他们试图让自己与夺得NBA总冠军这一塑造了球队性格的宝贵经历保持距离。“去年就是去年，”他们一遍又一遍地在战术板上用草书写下这句话。
当然，去年六月的夺冠征程并不能直接帮助他们再次冲击总决赛。然而，在这场西部决赛关键的第五场对决中，他们以127-114击败圣安东尼奥马刺队，这场胜利既令人信服，又有些出人意料，其背后所展现出的能量，在很大程度上正是源自经验的积累。这是一场奇妙的胜利，由非典型英雄们联手缔造，却让人感觉似曾相识。
因为在常规赛之外磨砺出的冠军底蕴，并不总是以常规的方式呈现。就在几天前，雷霆队还搞砸了一场比赛被对手扳平大比分，但到了周二晚上，他们展现出了极高的默契度，而他们潜意识里很清楚这种凝聚力源自何处。
“你从那些经历中汲取到的是精神层面的东西，”中锋**以赛亚·哈滕施泰因 (Isaiah Hartenstein)**说道，“不骄不躁，保持平稳。站上赛场时，你深知自己必须带着某种紧迫感去战斗。我认为我们这支球队在控制情绪方面做得非常好。
“ think when you go into any playoff game and your emotions are too high or too low, that’s kind of when it doesn’t work for yourself.”（我认为，在任何一场季后赛中，如果你的情绪起伏过大，往往就会适得其反。）”
雷霆队之所以明白这一点，是因为一年前对阵丹佛掘金队的第四战，以及随后不久对阵印第安纳步行者队的第四战。这种共鸣并非凭空想象，也不再仅仅是出自久经沙场的老将**亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso)**之口的励志演讲。
这帮助雷霆队赢下了一些不那么公式化的比赛，不再那么依赖对手的失误失衡，或是常规赛MVP热门**谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)**的高效发挥。
在周日的第四战之后，主教练**马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daigneault)指出，在持球手杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)和阿杰·米切尔 (Ajay Mitchell)双双缺阵的情况下，雷霆队大开大合的进攻方式“没有让任何人受益”。在重新分配进攻球权的过程中，他们崩溃了，因为场上的五人阵容都需要承担创造机会的职责，而亚伦·维金斯 (Aaron Wiggins)**的角色也突然变得举足轻重。
“老实说，我不认为我们还能打得比第四场更糟了，”哈滕施泰因说道。
雷霆队此前所缺失的协同效应与凝聚力在第五战中重新显现。哈滕施泰因展现了大师级的掩护功底，最终帮助吉尔杰斯-亚历山大在**斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)的严防死守下找到了新的进攻角度。环绕在这位大个子身边穿插的贾里德·麦凯恩 (Jared McCain)**展现出了极强的自信，他的出手次数（19次）甚至与吉尔杰斯-亚历山大持平。
卡鲁索继续为自己竞逐西部决赛MVP增添筹码，他仅出手10次便高效砍下22分。他和**凯森·华莱士 (Cason Wallace)**在防守端配合默契，宛如合奏，两人合计贡献了7次破坏传球（deflections）。卡鲁索积极轮防并切断对手的传球路线，华莱士则在对手发边线球时伺机而动。
在他们进攻最流畅的阶段，场上五人的移动犹如被一根无形的线牵引着般整齐划一。他们的战术运转极快，几乎没有给卡斯尔任何插手破坏的机会。雷霆队的拉开空间做得极好，逼得**维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)**不得不疲于奔命、顾此失彼。
这五人组——麦凯恩、吉尔杰斯-亚历山大、卡鲁索、华莱士和哈滕施泰因——共同上场了8分5秒，期间净胜14分，是全场表现最出色的阵容，没有之一。
最值得注意的是，他们重新找回了一些东西：相比于第四战做出了坚决的调整——回归到一种充满凝聚力、连贯性、坚韧且果断的打法，这在球队饱受伤病困扰的情况下显得尤为关键。
此前显得有些不在状态的**切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren)**在比赛开局阶段便积极寻找出手情绪。他的表现同样成为了雷霆队这场胜利本质的缩影，展现了决定比赛走向的坚定信念。面对圣安东尼奥马刺队如此强悍的防守，比赛绝非易事，但雷霆队在周二晚上用行动表明，这是一种主动的选择——一个他们坚决贯彻的选择。
“我们对于自己想怎么打有一种坚定的态度，”卡鲁索说道，“球在不停运转。我们没有任由他们施压。通常来说，在你输掉一场比赛之后，你会试图打得更有侵略性并努力反弹。……在某种程度上，如果你在开局阶段没能进入状态，你只需努力重回正轨。”
吉尔杰斯-亚历山大在第一节遭遇了被他称为职业生涯最糟糕的开局之一的局面，但他最终依然斩获了32分和9次助攻。直到首节还剩31.2秒时，他才打进首个运动战进球。他在第一节就出现了3次失误，占了他全场6次失误的一半。在卡斯尔的贴身施压下，他作为进攻发起者显得有些摇摇欲坠。
“要是场上有五个我，我们恐怕早就落后20分了，”他开玩笑说。
然而，雷霆队的核心班底承受住了压力。他们不需要自家的超级巨星去独自对抗马刺队的抢开局。他们重新激活了那股长期以来让对手窒息、并能在主场球馆点燃《Titanium》旋律的球队DNA。攻势的狂澜往往是积少成多的：麦凯恩投中几个高难度的行进间三分，马刺放空卡鲁索时他果断回应的空位三分，霍姆格伦的补篮，以及全队通过强硬的身体对抗让文班亚马游离于战术之外。
杰林·威廉姆斯 (Jaylin Williams)、**肯里奇·威廉姆斯 (Kenrich Williams)**以及其他俄克拉荷马雷霆队的球员们在周四的第五战中竭尽全力限制文班亚马。(Brett Rojo / Imagn Images)
雷霆队整个赛季都在与伤病作斗争，排出的阵容也常常显得奇特。他们已经为此摸索实验了数年。在缺少最强进攻发起者的情况下赢下比赛并运转起合理的进攻，这既是他们的神奇之处，也是他们骨子里的基因。
试图解释雷霆队如何从第四战的糟糕表现中走出来，并在第五战中取得如此令人瞩目的胜利，就像是在试图解释季后赛系列赛本身的变幻莫测。
“我不知道该怎么解释——这就是季后赛系列赛，你懂吗？如果你去看任何一个至少打到第六场的季后赛系列赛，其中总会遇到一些艰难的比赛，”戴格诺特说道，“我们前几天打了一场硬仗。但这支球队做得非常好的一点是，第二天回来时能保持非常平和的心态，吸取所有的教训，并将其运用到下一场比赛中。”
这种特质体现在哈滕施泰因强硬的球风和对篮板球的拼抢上，体现在麦凯恩坚决出手的自信上，体现在吉尔杰斯-亚历山大的百折不挠上，体现在杰林·威廉姆斯随时可能爆发的能量上，也体现在肯里奇·威廉姆斯的耐心上——尽管他在本届季后赛中此前几乎没有存在感，但在第五战中却不可或缺。
哪怕是从阵容中最不起眼的角落里，雷霆队也能源源不断地输送能量，让发动机持续运转，从而克服任何阵容搭配上的缺失或人员缺阵。在第五战中，他们可以让迎来季后赛生涯首次首发的麦凯恩挑起大梁；他们能让那些极少合练、甚至看起来并不搭调的阵容打出气势；他们通过快速传导和精准轮防掀起进攻高潮——在缺少了杰伦·威廉姆斯或米切尔的情况下，这台精密的机器依然不可阻挡。
雷霆队在比赛中展现出的这份从容，早在这次季后赛之旅前便已根植于球队之中。关于他们真正实力的秘密，无疑写在他们去年春天的履历表里。自九月集训以来，他们毫无疑问进一步凝聚了化学反应，并顶住了关于建立王朝的种种议论。
但在这些关键节点上，要想知道真正需要付出什么，他们只需回首12个月前的自己。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Thunder respond to Game 4 loss with poise and urgency of a defending champion
Thunder respond to Game 4 loss with poise and urgency of a defending champion
The Athletic has live coverage of Thunder vs. Spurs in Game 6 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have told themselves a season-long fib. They’ve tried to distance themselves from an experience as formative as an NBA championship. “Last year was last year,” they repeatedly scribbled in cursive on their chalkboards.
Of course, nothing about last June’s title run could aid their chase to return to another NBA Finals. Though what they mustered in a pivotal Game 5 of these Western Conference finals, a 127-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs as convincing as it seemed unlikely, felt conjured in part from experience. A funky victory, with offbeat heroes, that felt familiar.
Because championship mettle, built beyond this regular season, isn’t always conventional. Oklahoma City knows where it subconsciously draws from to produce the level of connectivity it showed Tuesday night, mere days after laying a series-tying egg.
“The thing that you take from those experiences is the mental part of it,” center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “Not getting too high, not getting too low. Just going in there knowing you have to come with a certain sense of urgency. I think our group does a great job of not being too emotional with it.
“I think when you go into any playoff game and your emotions are too high or too low, that’s kind of when it doesn’t work for yourself.”
The Thunder know that because of Game 4 versus the Denver Nuggets a year ago. And Game 4 versus the Indiana Pacers soon after. The empathy isn’t conceptual. It’s no longer a TED talk from the title-tested lips of veteran Alex Caruso.
It’s helped the Thunder win games that feel a lot less formulaic, not nearly as dependent on a turnover imbalance or MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficiency.
Following Sunday’s Game 4, coach Mark Daigneault noted that OKC’s global approach to offense, with ballhandlers Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both sidelined, “didn’t benefit anyone.” They crumbled beneath the newly distributed offense, with creation required from five-man lineups and Aaron Wiggins suddenly significant.
“I don’t think we could have played any worse than Game 4, to be honest,” Hartenstein said.
The synergy and cohesion that OKC lacked then resurfaced in Game 5. Hartenstein was a masterful screener, eventually finding SGA new angles to work with underneath Stephon Castle’s grasp. Jared McCain, orbiting around the big man, exhibited such confidence that he attempted as many shots (19) as Gilgeous-Alexander.
Caruso continued to poll for his Western Conference finals MVP candidacy, posting 22 points on 10 shots. He and Cason Wallace were symphonic defenders, with seven deflections between them. Caruso rotated and denied entry passes. Wallace eavesdropped on inbounds plays.
During their best stretches of offense, that group moved on a string. Actions rarely paused long enough to get Castle’s input. The Thunder spaced in a way that required Victor Wembanyama to stretch himself thin.
Those five — McCain, Gilgeous-Alexander, Caruso, Wallace and Hartenstein — played 8 minutes, 5 seconds together: a plus-14, by far the game’s best lineup.
Most notably, they recaptured something: a firm pivot from Game 4 — a return to something connective and continuous, unrelenting and decisive, necessary given their injuries.
Chet Holmgren, who previously seemed unhinged, hunted his shot in the game’s early minutes. He, too, felt emblematic of the nature of OKC’s win and the conviction that decided it. It’s never so simple against a defense as stingy as San Antonio’s, but the Thunder suggested that Tuesday night was a decision — a choice to lean into.
“We had a little disposition of how we wanted to play,” Caruso said. “Ball was moving. We didn’t just let them pressure us. After you lose a game, in general, you try to be more aggressive and try to come back. … At a certain point, you just try to correct the ship if you’re not in that spot to start the game.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, in the first quarter, embarked on what he called one of the worst starts of his career before finishing with 32 points and nine assists. He didn’t score a field goal until 31.2 seconds remained in the opening period. He coughed it up three times, half of his six turnovers for the game. As an initiator, under Castle’s pressure, he seemed wobbly at best.
“If it was five me’s out there, we would’ve been down 20,” he joked.
However, the Thunder’s nucleus absorbed it. They didn’t need their superstar to combat these quick San Antonio starts. They tapped back into the same DNA that’s long drowned teams and triggered “Titanium” in the building. The avalanche is often piecemealed. A couple of audacious moving 3s from McCain, an open one from Caruso as the Spurs dared him to shoot, a putback from Holmgren, the team-wide physicality that kept Wembanyama uninvolved.
Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder players frustrated Victor Wembanyama as best as they could during Thursday’s Game 5. (Brett Rojo / Imagn Images)
The Thunder suffered injuries and had quirky lineups all season long. They’ve experimented for several years. Winning and running a reasonable offense without their best initiators is as much their makeup as it is miraculous.
Explaining how OKC went from its putrid Game 4 to its impressive Game 5 victory is trying to explain the inconsistency of a series.
“I don’t know how — it’s a playoff series, you know? If you look at any playoff series that goes to six games, at least, there’s gonna be some tough games,” Daigneault said. “We had a tough game the other night. This team does a great job of coming back the next day, in a very neutral way, taking whatever the lessons are, applying them forward.”
It lies in Hartenstein’s bruising nature and presence on the glass. Or in McCain’s willingness to shoot. Or in SGA’s relentlessness. Or in Jaylin Williams’ capacity for eruption. Or in the patience of Kenrich Williams, a non-factor in these playoffs but necessary in Game 5.
From the most unconventional corners of the roster, the Thunder can keep the turbine spinning long enough to transcend any lineup configuration or absence. They can lead Game 5 with McCain’s first playoff start. They create momentum from lineups that’ve rarely played together or seem ill-fitted. They start runs built on touch passes and precise rotations, as part of a machine that still apparently won’t be denied without Williams or Mitchell.
The Thunder conduct it with a poise that predates this run. The truth about their capabilities undeniably lies somewhere in their résumé from last spring. They unquestionably built upon chemistry since September, fighting off dynastic discussions.
But in these spots, to know what is truly required, they need only to reach back 12 months.
By Joel Lorenzi, via The Athletic