Can the Spurs cause another upset in Game 2 after stealing a wild double-overtime thriller to open the Western Conference Finals?<\/p>\n
Game 1 between the Spurs and Thunder delivered one of the best playoff games of the season, with San Antonio holding on in double overtime on the road.<\/p>\n
Now the pressure shifts to Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n
The Thunder must make major adjustments, particularly around generating cleaner offensive looks for MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while the Spurs face the challenge of managing heavy minutes after several starters pushed beyond 44 minutes in the opener.<\/p>\n
Expect a strong response from Oklahoma City after dropping Game 1 at home.<\/p>\n
The Thunder should have taken plenty away from the double-overtime loss, and historically these spots tend to favour the higher seed bouncing back hard in Game 2.<\/p>\n
San Antonio leaned heavily on their starters in the opener, with five players logging at least 44 minutes.<\/p>\n
Teams that steal an early road win in a playoff series will often subtly prioritise Game 3 at home, especially after a physically draining opener like this.<\/p>\n
Oklahoma City should come out with far greater urgency and intensity here.<\/p>\n
The Thunder can bounce back without needing a big scoring game from Chet Holmgren.<\/p>\n
Victor Wembanyama remains an extremely difficult matchup for Holmgren due to his ability to contest perimeter shots while still protecting the paint.<\/p>\n
Across five meetings with San Antonio this season, Holmgren is averaging just 10 points per game.<\/p>\n
He has also failed to clear 13.5 points in four straight games against the Spurs, missing double figures in three of those contests.<\/p>\n
Unless Oklahoma City drastically changes his role offensively, this still looks like a difficult matchup for him to score efficiently.<\/p>\n
Jalen Williams looked like Oklahoma City\u2019s most reliable offensive option in Game 1.<\/p>\n
Fresh off a hamstring injury, Williams moved freely and finished with 26 points, consistently attacking gaps in San Antonio\u2019s defence.<\/p>\n
While Alex Caruso also had an explosive offensive game, it feels much more sustainable for Williams to maintain this scoring output moving forward.<\/p>\n
Williams has scored 15+ points in 16 of his last 20 games, including seven of his last eight.<\/p>\n
He should once again play a major role offensively in Game 2.<\/p>\n