SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama delivered a subdued performance during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals and chose not to address the media following the contest.
The San Antonio Spurs are undoubtedly counting on witnessing a transformed player when they take the court Thursday evening.
The sixth game of the Western Conference championship series approaches, with San Antonio — confronting their first elimination scenario of these playoffs — preparing to welcome the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder to their home court. The Thunder hold a 3-2 series advantage and would maintain home-court benefit should a seventh game become necessary this Saturday.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said. “I think we’ll be ready to play next game. Obviously, it’s a win-or-go-home situation, so I’m 100% sure everybody’s going to come to play.”
This expectation extends to Wembanyama, who managed just 20 points — his lowest output of the series — during Tuesday’s Game 5 defeat in Oklahoma City. He declined to meet with media members following that contest, resulting in the NBA issuing him a warning Wednesday for failing to meet his media responsibilities.
San Antonio would undoubtedly prefer Wembanyama express himself through his play Thursday night. Ensuring he receives more than 15 shooting opportunities will be essential, according to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.
“That’s probably the easiest (adjustment) in terms of just surface-level stuff,” Johnson said. “He’ll definitely need to take more shots.”
Numerous technical and sophisticated modifications occur throughout a playoff series, particularly during a competitive back-and-forth battle like this Western Conference final has proven to be.
Strategic approaches can appear quite complex. However, for Oklahoma City, their strategy entering a potential series-clinching Game 6 against San Antonio follows a straightforward approach.
“We’ve got to understand what’s going on,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.
The situation is clear: San Antonio will battle for their postseason survival, supported by their home crowd hoping to witness their team extend the season for at least another game.
This competitive series — where San Antonio captured Game 1, Oklahoma City claimed Games 2 and 3, the Spurs bounced back in Game 4, and the Thunder responded in Game 5 — has now entered the elimination phase for San Antonio.
“We’ve been great when we’re desperate all year,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I can’t wait to see how we respond.”
Oklahoma City holds a perfect 2-0 record in elimination opportunities this season, securing Game 4 victories on opposing courts against both Phoenix in the opening round and the Los Angeles Lakers in round two. They finished 4-2 in closeout situations last season while capturing the NBA championship.
San Antonio successfully navigated elimination games in their previous two playoff series before this season, though they eventually fell in both of those matchups.
Betting lines suggest a seventh game is anticipated. They’ve established San Antonio as a 3.5-point home favorite for Game 6, indicating the series would return to Oklahoma City for a final deciding contest.
The Thunder remain the betting favorites to claim the NBA championship.
