Shorthanded Spurs Stumble in Game 2 in OKC, Thunder Tie Series 1-1

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The shorthanded Spurs fought and clawed for 48 minutes after their most impressive win of the year, but lost another star to injury and fell to the Thunder 122-113 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

De'Aaron Fox missed another game due to his right ankle, and rookie Dylan Harper who started in his place left the game with a right leg injury. That left Stephon Castle as the only regular guard, and though he played extremely hard and led all Spurs with 25 points and 8 assists, he turned it over nine times in the loss.

"Obviously this team is as good as anybody turning you over, so when you're down some of your primary creators and initiators, it causes a little bit of extra strain," said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who called Castle a warrior.

"We got to continue to help him, because he's asked to guard on one end and then create that much, especially without Fox and Harper, that's quite the output energy wise, and so it's something that he'll be better at, we'll be better for him to try to help him, where we don't have to put maybe that much strain on him."

After the game, Castle, took the turnovers on his own shoulders.

"I think it's more personal on my end," he said. "Just really speeding myself up, not allowing our screeners to get hits, so it's like it's putting me in a position where I have to play fast, or my screener might get an offensive foul, so I put us at a disadvantage to start the game with those."

Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks in the loss. Asked what the most frustrating part of the loss was, Wemby kept it succinct.

"I would say it's spending so much energy on catching back up to the score, and they let it go away," he said.

Johnson said after the double-overtime duel in Game 1 that on multiple occasions he considered inserting reserve guard Jordan MacLaughlin because everyone else was exhausted, and the tired legs clearly followed both teams into the rematch.

"You have to get to the end to give yourself a chance, and I think again, that's why we have to continue to trust our depth, and guys have to step up," Johnson said. "As you do get tired and the physicality heightens and the intensity is ever so present, you gotta execute, so there's there's something there where there's a mental, a physical, and emotional challenge."

Johnson did indeed play MacLaughlin early in Game 2, and J-Mac knocked down a triple.

"Jordan's done that for us all year," Johnson said. "He's done a great job being ready when his name is called. Very smart basketball player, knows how to execute and give us toughness."

Wembanyama looked as gassed as one could possibly be in the first half of a game, heading to the bench after the first 4:59.

In the early going, Castle led all scorers with 16 points but his turnover troubles from the first game followed him into the second. With no De'Aaron Fox to release the pressure, OKC focused their swarming defense on the second-year star. He stayed aggressive and kept attacking the rim for better and for worse, and the rim got the worst of it when he cocked back and crammed a dunk that drew an audible reaction from the Oklahoma City crowd.

The Spurs had not faced a double-digit deficit since Game 4 of their first-round series against Portland, but the Thunder managed to push the lead to 11 at halftime. San Antonio made 17 baskets in the first half and turned the ball over 13 times, including eight combined from Castle and Wembanyama.

Thunder star Jalen Williams, who missed six games in a row coming into this series with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, left this game with tightness in the same hamstring.

The Spurs made a push to start the second half. Wembanyama grabbed a huge offensive rebound and got whacked in the face. He waited a second for the foul call, and when it didn't come he stepped out to the arc and drilled a 3. Shortly after, he caught in the same spot and swung the ball to Devin Vassell in the corner for 3. Wembanyama forced a miss, then pulled up from 3 to tie the game, then found Vassell again. Wemby drove, missed it, cleaned up the glass and crammed it.

Dylan Harper, who had just been named as an All-Rookie First Team selection, got a bit shaken up in the third quarter and appeared to hurt his right leg after a pair of hard falls. The Spurs confirmed that he had a right leg injury, and would not return to the game.

Wembanyama went to the bench and the Thunder capitalized by attacking the basket, building their advantage back out to 10. When he returned, he found MacLaughlin in the corner for another 3.

The Spurs went into the fourth quarter down 10 points and two star guards. Steph Castle did his best to make up for both. Wemby found him in the paint for a crafty layup, and then he bullied his way to the rim for another.

Wembanyama crossed over at the arc and got all the way to the basket, missing at first and then cleaning it up. Castle found Barnes in the corner for a huge triple, right in front of the Thunder bench, to make it 99-97 OKC. The veteran swingman may have called the timeout for them as they took a few minutes to regroup.

The Thunder scored 11 straight out of the timeout, pushing their lead back to double digits with 7:22 to play. Devin Vassell ended the run with another timely 3, Wemby busted up a lob, and Castle swished a 3 himself.

Castle missed his next triple, but Keldon Johnson was there to clean up the miss. Then Castle found Keldon in the corner for 3.

On the bench down 5 with 1:01 to play, the Spurs did not look defeated or discouraged. The Thunder wound up winning, but the Spurs gave them everything they could handle.

The series now shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday night. It's unclear if Castle will get any of his star reinforcements in the backcourt.

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