SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama scored 33 points and added eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-82, on Sunday at home to tie the Western Conference finals at two games apiece.
The Spurs led by as many as 25 points and controlled the game from the opening minutes to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
San Antonio opened the game with a 16-0 run, extending its advantage through early scoring and forced turnovers. The Spurs hit 5 of 6 shots during the stretch, while Oklahoma City missed its first seven attempts and committed three turnovers.
Oklahoma City cut a 15-point first-quarter deficit to five late in the second quarter, but San Antonio closed the half with a 7-0 run to lead 53-41 at halftime. Wembanyama capped the half with a three-pointer from near midcourt at the buzzer.
The Spurs extended their lead in the third quarter with a 20-7 run over nearly seven minutes, building a margin that Oklahoma City did not overcome.
Oklahoma City shot 33% from the field and 18.2% from three-point range. The Thunder scored 38 points in the first half, their lowest total of the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting and did not play in the fourth quarter. No other Thunder player scored more than 12 points.
San Antonio’s Stephon Castle scored 13 points with one turnover, while De’Aaron Fox finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists without a turnover. The Spurs shot 38.9% from the field and 27.3% from three-point range.
Oklahoma City’s bench, which had outscored San Antonio’s reserves through the first three games of the series, was outscored 34-30 in Game 4.