San Antonio

Spurs

Castle did several good things for the Spurs in Game 5. Efficient shooting overall and strong three-point production allowed him to finish as the team’s leading scorer, while his three steals and contributions as a facilitator are also noteworthy. He’s had an up-and-down series with several highs and lows, and San Antonio will need more of the highs on Thursday when it looks to avoid elimination. Castle is averaging 18.6 points and 7.6 assists through the first five games of the series.

While the Spurs lost on Tuesday, Champagnie found his shooting rhythm and was somewhat of a bright spot. The fourth-year forward broke out of a major shooting slump from beyond the arc, where he’d shot 6-of-31 entering Game 5. The hot shooting allowed him to put forth his best offensive game of the series — the Spurs will need more of the same on Thursday from Champagnie to help keep the season alive.

Wemby logged one of his least impactful performances of the postseason on Tuesday. In the loss, he missed all five of his three-point attempts, shot his worst field goal percentage of the playoffs, and finished with under 10 rebounds for the third straight game. Over half of his points came from the charity stripe, further emphasizing his struggles to get things going from the field. The Defensive Player of the Year also had a modest five stocks during his 38 minutes. The Spurs will more than likely need more production from Wemby on Thursday to keep their season alive and force a seventh game.

While he still has not looked 100 percent after returning from a sprained right ankle that sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, Fox’s presence on the court has paid dividends. Stephon Castle totaled two turnovers in Games 3 and 4 after committing 20 in the first two games, and Fox contributed a game-high 10 rebounds on Sunday. Victor Wembanyama’s dominance and the Spurs’ defense were the stories of Sunday’s blowout victory. Still, Fox’s return is one reason why San Antonio has a realistic shot at dethroning the reigning champs. Game 5 is on Tuesday night.

Castle was one of four Spurs’ starters to record a complete stat line in Game 4, with Julian Champagnie being the exception. The second-year guard was once again a pest defensively, but he was also far more efficient on offense. After totaling 20 turnovers in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Castle has been responsible for one each in Games 3 and 4. Getting De’Aaron Fox back has helped immensely, even if the veteran point guard has not looked as explosive as usual due to his right ankle injury.

After scoring 22 and 20 points in Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Vassell was not as productive offensively in Game 4. However, he shot 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and recorded a complete stat line in the Spurs’ 103-82 victory. Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arc, going a combined 15-of-66, but San Antonio’s defensive activity carried the night. Vassell and the Spurs will look to take a 3-2 series lead when they visit the Thunder for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Facing a potential 3-1 series deficit, Wembanyama and the Spurs came out highly aggressive in Game 4. The 7-foot-4 phenom scored 22 points in the first half, including a half-court shot as time expired to send the Spurs into the break with a 50-38 lead. With San Antonio in firm control for most of the second half, Wembanyama only needed to play 31 minutes, watching most of the fourth quarter either from an exercise bike in the tunnel or on the Spurs’ bench. The series is now a best-of-3, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Both players are at less than 100 percent, but expected to play, according to Johnson. This comes as no surprise. Both Fox and Harper played in Game 3, which was the first game of the series for Fox. Now with the Spurs trying to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series, both players appear set to continue to play through injury.

Fox returned after missing the first two games of the series with an ankle injury. He had a good game with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Fox was +9 in 31 minutes despite the Spurs losing by 15 points. His three-point shot was off, though, as he went 1-of-6 from behind the arc. Fox and the Spurs will look to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday.

Wembanyama was effective on offense with 26 points on 15 attempts, but didn’t have the same impact on the boards as he did in the first two games of the series. After totaling 41 rebounds in the first two games of the series, Wembanyama had just four rebounds in Game 3. He’ll need to bounce back if the Spurs are going to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series in Game 4 on Sunday.