Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals started out all Spurs. San Antonio’s squad came out for their first game of the series in front of a home crowd and sped past the Thunder defense on a 15-0 run to start the game. Then Oklahoma City’s offense got going, and they basically never looked back, eventually winning the game 123-108.
It was another physical, contentious night between the two teams as the Spurs brought the game close a few more times, only to be pushed back down by OKC’s depth of shooters. Now, down 2-1, the Spurs have a chance to bounce back before the series returns to Oklahoma. It’s Game 4 time on NBC and Peacock.
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How to watch Thunder vs. Spurs Game 4
The Thunder and the Spurs return to action Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET, live on NBC and streaming simultaneously on Peacock from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Mike Tirico will call the action for NBC Sports alongside analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford, with courtside reporting from Zora Stephenson and Ashley ShahAhmadi. And be sure to tune in early to Peacock for the NBA Showtime pregame show, hosted by Maria Taylor with analysis from NBA greats Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter.
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What to expect from Thunder vs. Spurs Game 4
The Thunder defense has locked down over the past two games, and aside from some offensive bright spots like that 15-point opening run in Game 3, the Spurs haven’t quite been able to keep up. Game 2 and Game 3 were both physical contests with lots of contact and some controversial moments among San Antonio fans, but in Game 3 at least, the key difference maker wasn’t actually the physicality.
The real difference? Bench scoring. The Thunder bench pulled in three times the points the Spurs bench could muster, a whopping 76-23 margin that proved a tipping point on Friday night. If the bench can’t score, the starters can’t reliably get rest, and if they can’t reliably get rest, they stay in the game and play until they’re overwhelmed. That’s a big part of why Game 3 went to Thunder, and if the Spurs want to stay in this series, they have to find ways to get good looks for their bench while Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and the rest of the starting lineup get a breather. The Spurs do not want to be down 3-1 against the best team in the league, facing elimination as the series returns to OKC, so expect them to dig deep Sunday night.