Facing incredible odds in Oklahoma City, the Spurs passed a huge postseason gut check with a double OT win over the Thunder in their quest for the NBA Finals
By Gabriel Esparza | May 19, 2026
Few would have thought that the San Antonio Spurs even stood a chance on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder without their starting point guard, De’aaron Fox.
Yes, the Spurs managed to not only put on a highly impressive performance but also showed that this young corps is truly capable of winning this year’s Western Conference series and advancing to the Finals.
Accurate comparisons can certainly be made between this iteration of San Antonio and the past storied teams that would go on to win it all.
The biggest aspect that is perhaps most evident is how unselfish this collective is and how they play for each other.
Particularly on defense, this coach Mitch Johnson group knows that the most important task at hand is to slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the best extent possible.
This will often mean leaving the conventionally assigned offensive player to fill the lane, while potentially leaving the left man for a wide-open kick-out three.
The players, however, do not seem to mind. To them, it is more important to ensure that the team is in the best possible position, even if it means overhelping in an attempt to slow down SGA.
The collective team approach is inherently contagious. More players than Victor Wembenyama are getting in on the block and deflection party. Their activity is clearly muddying waters for the OKC offense.
Chet Holmgren, in particular, had a difficult time getting involved on that end of the court. Bottom line, this is a Spurs team that is truly playing for each other.
In many ways, they have become what many despise when watching the Thunder play. Regardless if a fan’s team reached the postseason or not, this is at the very least an intriguing and fun bunch to watch on the court. For the most part, any neutral fan will be rooting for the Spurs in this series.
The Thunder are certainly talented enough and have the experience to make adjustments and to make life highly difficult, enough so to ultimately advance. It is clear, however, that San Antonio is a legitimate threat, at the very least. Not just this year, but for years to come moving forward as well.
