Thunder/Spurs Series Takeaways (From someone who used to be madly in love with Chet Holmgren).
First, I’d like to thank the NBA- and the refs- for gifting us with the two best words in sports: Game Seven. As painful as it was to watch the Thunder *flop their way through this series, a Game 7 was on almost everyone’s bingo card, and I don’t think anyone was truly mad at it.
Going into this series, I was nervous about the Spurs being without De’Aron Fox (18 *PPG, 3.8 *RPG, *6.2 APG during the regular season and a 7-3 record with his absence) for the first two games. Beyond the numbers, Fox brings playoff experience and veteran composure to this young roster- two crucial things that matter enormously in the postseason.
That said, Dylan Harper- shoutout, Jersey- filled the void almost immediately. Every time he checked into the game, the team instantly looked sharper and more cohesive. He was one of the more impressive performers of the series, the way he consistently left his fingerprints on every game.
What didn’t surprise me was the Thunder’s free-throw volume. Knowing that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is both the Clutch Player of the Year and MVP, watching him attempt the same number of free throws as he did *field goals was genuinely disheartening. Twenty-nine teams play physical, ethical basketball all season. The Thunder flop, and the refs keep letting them get away with it.
I used to be a Thunder fan. (If you couldn’t tell from my OKC hat in my About Me photo). I invested early in Chet Holmgren- had a full-on crush on him if we’re being honest- but those feelings quickly evaporated the moment the flopping started. He’s 7’1. The second-tallest player on the floor. And instead of using that to guard or play actual defense on Victor Wembanyama, he routinely passed that assignment off to Isiah Hartenstein. As entertaining as it was to watch 6’5 Devin Vassell block his shots, I kept asking myself what I ever saw in him. He’s a different player in the regular season than he is in the playoffs, and my respect for him was gone by the LA series, when he was visibly hitting the floor with little to no contact. The secondhand embarrassment was real. Talk about getting the ick!
Another thing I couldn’t help but notice was the ego on Alex Caruso. He is so quick to demand calls on minimal contact, and the Game 7 moment when he threw Stephon Castle to the ground mid *layup and received only a *common foul- not a *Flagrant 2, not an ejection- was one of the most egregious non-calls of this series. And let’s not forget Isiah Hartenstein pulling Stephon Castle’s locs with zero consequences in Game 2. The officiating in this series truly was something else.
On a more positive note, what I did seriously love was the competitiveness and rivalry that’s clearly building between these two franchises- and between Chet and Wemby specifically. One thing I love about playoff basketball is the grittiness. I love a team that plays like junkyard dogs. The Spurs came out and played like rottweilers while the Thunder played like chihuahuas, throwing haymakers and hoping the refs looked away. (They usually did).
This series put the MVP against the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, and Victor Wembanyama absolutely schooled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Even though Victor may have had a rough shooting quarter here, some foul trouble there, he still put on a show. (Game 5 has been collectively erased from the record books. We don’t talk about it.😉)
At the end of the day, ethical basketball always wins. It doesn’t matter how many free throws you shoot if your supporting cast doesn’t show up. The Thunder found that out the hard way.
Spurs in 7.
*Flop: A player intentionally exaggerating or faking contact to deceive referees into calling a foul for one or more free throws.
*PPG: Points Per Game
*RPG: Rebounds Per Game
*APG: Assists Per Game
*Field Goals: Any basket scored while the ball is in play (excluding free throws)
*Layup: A close-range shot where a player drives to the basket and “lays” the ball in
*Common Foul: Illegal physical fouls that typically give the defensive player an advantage. (EX: Hitting, pushing, or slapping)
*Flagrant Foul 2: Contact committed by a player that has impact, windup, and is deemed unnecessary and excessive.
Hardwood, Hot Dogs, and Hail Marys 