After a double overtime thriller in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs lost their legs and momentum in Game 2, dropping the game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder managed to even up the Western Conference, beating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2, 122-113.
After the Spurs held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to an inefficient 24 points in Game 1, the two-time MVP bounced back, scoring 30 to give the Thunder a much-needed win. Much like in Game 1, the Thunder enjoyed a stellar two-way performance from Alex Caruso, who scored 17 points.
The Spurs, meanwhile, were led by Stephon Castle's 25 points, although he added nine turnovers. It was clear that their double-overtime win in Game 1 took a toll, as the Spurs looked sloppy down the stretch, missing rotations and the open man on both offense and defense.
As if losing the game wasn't enough, Dylan Harper left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury. He did not return and might join De'Aaron Fox on the injury report.
Spurs Lose Turnover Battle, Struggle With Rebounds
The Spurs turned the ball over 21 times, although to the loyal fans watching, it probably felt like double that. Not only did the Thunder prevent quality looks, but they were able to capitalize on the Spurs' mishaps. On top of that, the Spurs weren't even able to make the Thunder regret their misses.
OKC nabbed just one more rebound than the Spurs, winning the battle 50-49, but the Thunder snatched 17 offensive rebounds, led by Isaiah Hartenstein's eight offensive boards.
Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks, although the depth for both teams might be gutted.
Depending on the severity of injuries, both the Spurs and Thunder might be shorthanded for the rest of the series. Harper and Jalen Williams went down in the third quarter, both ruled out for the game, and in the fourth, Keldon Johnson and Ajay Mitchell got tangled up, with Mitchell also leaving the game.
Add in Fox's lingering ankle injury from the previous series, and both teams may be missing some of their better players. Of course, both OKC and San Antonio are two of the deeper teams in the NBA, but a series devoid of star power is simply not the quality product fans were expecting.
Hopefully, everyone makes a speedy recovery. For now, the series is tied, and the teams will travel to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday night. The Thunder are still favored to win the series and have some momentum, but with everything tied up at 1-1, expect the rowdy Frost Bank Center crowd to help propel the Spurs.
