Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder past Spurs
San Antonio had announced their arrival in the Western Conference Finals with a stunning opener. Oklahoma City made sure the series would not run away from them.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered when his team needed him most, pouring in a game-high 30 points and adding nine assists to power the Thunder to a 122-113 victory over the Spurs on home court, levelling the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
The two-time reigning MVP was characteristically composed about what the result meant. “The guys brought it tonight, knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one,” he said. “We brought the energy from the jump.”
That energy showed early. The teams were locked at 31 apiece after the first quarter, but Oklahoma City gradually imposed itself and went into the half with an 11-point cushion. San Antonio refused to fold; they drew level midway through the third quarter and clawed to within two points in the fourth, but the Thunder responded both times, pulling clear to secure a result that steadies the reigning champions after a difficult Game One.
The Spurs’ task of containing Victor Wembanyama’s supporting cast proved far easier than reversing the flow of the game itself. The French phenom, who had scorched Oklahoma City for 41 points in the opener, was held to 21 this time around, a significant containment effort by the Thunder’s defence.
With the series now tied, the action shifts to San Antonio for Games Three and Four on Friday and Sunday respectively. Gilgeous-Alexander knows the challenge ahead has not gotten smaller. “We got a W, it’s all you can ask for. Now we got to go on the road against a really good team and go get one,” he said.
Elsewhere in the conference finals, the New York Knicks hold a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, with Game Two going down in New York on Thursday.
Source: BBC
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