The San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder for the fourth time in five tries on Wednesday night. With the Thunder deciding to sit ten players, including their entire starting lineup, the Spurs were able to win by a final score of 116-106 at the Frost Bank Center.
As one would expect, this was a low intensity game due to OKC holding out the majority of their team. The good news is that the Spurs did enough to avoid any lasting embarrassment.
Stats: Spurs vs. Thunder
Spurs vs. Thunder – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama was one of many Spurs players who played with a subdued amount of energy. Understandably so, I might add. However, to Wembanyama’s credit, he picked it up in the fourth quarter to finish off the Thunder. He rebounded well throughout, guarded the rim well and shot well from everywhere except the free throw line.
Grade: C+
De’Aaron Fox
It’s difficult to critique Fox for his performance. He missed all three of his three-pointers but otherwise he was 5-for-7 from the floor, 5-for-6 from the free throw line and handed out ten assists while turning it over only once. Fox also added four rebounds, three steals and a block. When he got going downhill, no one on OKC had a prayer of guarding him.
Grade: B
Stephon Castle
This wasn’t the prettiest outing for Castle. The Thunder were literally not defending his outside shot and yet he still posted an inefficient night at the office. He was 0-for-3 from three and turned it over a team-high three times. Castle had a couple of important baskets late and his defense was good throughout — but he’s going to have to start hitting shots to keep defenses honest.
Grade: C-
Devin Vassell
It was mostly a dud of a performance for Vassell. He was 2-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-7 from three-point land. His defense wasn’t especially good and he finished without an assist. The silver lining for Vassell was that he limited his mistakes on both ends.
Grade: D+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie played an okay-ish ballgame. He was 2-for-5 from three, hit his only two and pulled down five rebounds in 27 minutes. Champagnie also had three assists and played above average defense. He had a few sloppy possessions but he limited those miscues.
Grade: C+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes hit two quick three-pointers and it felt like this was the night he could break out of his slump. Alas, that didn’t happen. He missed the rest of his three-pointers and produced only nine points on nine shots. The good news was he was better on the boards than usual and showed more vivacity on defense than we’ve come to expect.
Grade: C+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson was heroic against the Thunder. With many teammates asleep at the wheel, Johnson carried the Spurs with 25 points in the first three quarters on 10-for-14 shooting from the field. San Antonio would have been in a world of hurt without Johnson’s production. He was also strong on the boards and finished without a turnover despite being in the thick of the action.
Grade: A
Luke Kornet
Kornet did decently well. He had 15 rebounds in 15 minutes, although that was more of being in the right places at the right times. He was locked in defensively and ran the court well. Finishing on offense was an issue, as Kornet finished 2-for-7 from the field.
Grade: C+
Carter Bryant
Bryant had a big dunk and three consecutive three-pointers while rebounding and defending with aggression. Eventually, the rookie went cold but those early flashes were awesome to see. Bryant might be turning the corner as a legitimate contributor.
Grade: B+
Jordan McLaughlin
McLaughlin hit a three-pointer and played active defense. His tangible production was negligible, though. McLaughlin got his 13 minutes of playing time due to the fact that rookie Dylan Harper sat out the game with an ankle injury.
Grade: C+
Mitch Johnson
This was a difficult game to navigate due to OKC waving the white flag before the opening tip. With that in mind, Coach Mitch did relatively well. With the Spurs on the first night of a back-to-back, the minutes were limited enough to give the good guys a good chance of sweeping the pair.
Grade: B-