The Spurs were aggressive in a win-or-go-home clash with the defending champions, roared on by a boisterous crowd to keep alive their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals, where the red-hot New York Knicks await.
Dylan Harper added 18 points from the bench as San Antonio bounced back from Tuesday’s disappointing loss to tie up the best-of-seven series at 3-3.
The final game takes place in Oklahoma City on Saturday.
“We ain’t done nothing yet,” said Wembanyama, who also collected 10 rebounds and made three blocks.
Wembanyama, after an uncharacteristically poor game five, arrived at his first-ever playoff elimination game with ferocious intent.
The seven-foot-four French superstar — this season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year — came out of the blocks fast, following his teammate Julian Champagnie’s quickfire three-pointer with two pinpoint range efforts of his own, plus a block, to open an almost immediate 9-2 Spurs lead.
Reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who poured in 32 points in the previous game — looked unsettled. He was swarmed by the Spurs defence, missing multiple mid-range efforts.
The sharp-shooting Spurs’ eight three-pointers in the first quarter were their most of any post-season quarter this year.
Wembanyama and San Antonio’s energy and shot accuracy dipped slightly in the second quarter. The Thunder headed into the half-time break somehow just seven points down.
But the Spurs went on an astonishing 20-0 run in the third quarter to put the game out of sight.
They were assisted by a disintegrating Oklahoma City offence that missed 13 field goal attempts in a row and went scoreless for more than seven minutes, scoring just 13 points in the third quarter.
With six minutes left, and the Spurs up 28 points, both teams’ starters were benched to rest up for the decider, and the home crowd began to sing “Ole”.
Having spurned a chance to become the first team to reach back-to-back NBA Finals since the Golden State Warriors in 2019, the Thunder will have another opportunity on home court this weekend.
The Knicks will play the victors, well rested after sweeping both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers amid an 11-game winning streak en route to the finals. (AFP)
