The series opener gave us a battle for the ages. Let’s hope we get more of those. This is a marquee matchup that has all the ingredients.

Catch the game tomorrow, May 21st, Thursday, at 8:30 AM, Manila time.

AWAY: San Antonio Spurs (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • De’Aaron Fox (day-to-day)
  • Stephon Castle
  • Devin Vassell
  • Julian Champagnie
  • Victor Wembanyama 

San Antonio came into Oklahoma City needing to steal a game, and it did exactly that in spectacular fashion. The Spurs handed the Thunder their first loss of the postseason with a gritty 122-115 double-overtime victory, swinging home-court advantage in their favor and immediately raising the stakes of the series.

What made the win even more impressive was the absence of De’Aaron Fox, who missed Game 1 with a knee injury and remains questionable heading into Game 2. Victor Wembanyama delivered one of the best playoff performances over the last couple of years: 41 points, 24 rebounds, and three blocks, highlighted by a cold-blooded, logo three-pointer to tie the game late in the first overtime. Wembanyama’s hunger for big moments is obvious, and his ceiling somehow still feels terrifyingly far away.

Stephon Castle also stuffed the stat sheet with a triple-double, though his 11 turnovers nearly proved costly. Rookie Dylan Harper continued his rapid rise with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, while Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie all contributed timely stretches. Now comes the difficult part for San Antonio: avoiding the emotional drop-off that often follows a dramatic Game 1 upset win.

HOME: Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Luguentz Dort
  • Jalen Williams
  • Chet Holmgren
  • Isaiah Hartenstein

The Thunder finally tasted defeat this postseason, and the long layoff before the series may have contributed to some rust. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off his second straight MVP award, struggled by his standards with 24 points on 7-of-23 shooting, missing several looks he typically converts with ease.

Those struggles overshadowed huge performances elsewhere. Alex Caruso erupted for a playoff career-high 31 points while knocking down eight three-pointers, and Jalen Williams looked sharp (26 points) despite recently returning from injury. But outside of those two and SGA, the Thunder lacked their usual depth and balance.

The rest of the roster, which overwhelmed opponents in the first two rounds, managed just 34 combined points on 12-of-34 shooting – Chet Holmgren going 2-for-7 for eight points while in an anticipated matchup with Wemby was pretty rough. 

The trademark depth and defensive intensity simply weren’t as overwhelming in Game 1 – a huge dud for arguably the league’s most complete team on both ends of the floor over the last two seasons. Still, remember that OKC responds well to adversity, and with the home crowd desperate for a bounce-back performance, expect a far more focused and aggressive effort in Game 2.

PICKS

Spread: Spurs (+7)
Over/Under: Over (212.5)