05/26/26 10:27:00
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05/26 22:26 CDT Victor Wembanyama held to series-low 20 points, Spurs fall in
Game 5 of West finals to Thunder
Victor Wembanyama held to series-low 20 points, Spurs fall in Game 5 of West
finals to Thunder
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
It's been a very simple formula for the San Antonio Spurs in these Western
Conference finals. When Victor Wembanyama has been the best player on the
floor, they win. When he isn't, they lose.
He wasn't the best player on the floor Tuesday night.
That was not the only reason why the Spurs fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in
Game 5 of the West finals --- there were many --- but it was certainly among
them. Wembanyama, who has had 41-point and 33-point outings in winning efforts
during the series, never seemed to get fully rolling and the Spurs lost 127-114.
Now down 3-2 in the series, they'll try to extend the matchup --- and save
their season --- in Game 6 at San Antonio on Thursday night.
Wembanyama scored 20 points, his lowest of the series, and only a 12-for-12
effort from the foul line helped him get there in Game 5. He was 4 for 15 from
the floor, missing all five of his 3-point tries, never seeming to get into any
sort of rhythm.
He offered an impassioned speech to teammates during a timeout barely two
minutes into the third quarter, after the Thunder opened an 18-point lead. And
it worked --- to a point. Oklahoma City scored again to get the lead up to 20,
but the Spurs closed within eight later in the third.
It seemed like there was hope. But the Spurs didn't get any closer. The deficit
was 10 going into the fourth, the Spurs scored only two points in the first
4:02 of the final quarter, and whatever momentum that seemed like it was
building after Wembanyama's time-out speech appeared to be gone.
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