The Spurs didn’t need to overhaul their approach to turn things around in the Western Conference finals. They just needed to rediscover the defensive mindset that got them there, and now they need to replicate that on Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
Following a lacklustre Game 3 showing, De’Aaron Fox said Gregg Popovich came into the locker room and made it clear he wasn’t happy with how they’d played.
Fox mentioned that Pop had a few choice words for the team, calling out their effort. It was the first time all season Fox had seen Popovich react like that. San Antonio responded immediately in Game 4.
They took down Oklahoma City 103-82 on May 24th, pulling even at two games apiece while holding the Thunder to their lowest point total since 2021. The shift wasn’t just emotional. It was also tactical.
The Spurs ditched a more passive approach and got back to playing proactive defence, turning pressure into turnovers and using those opportunities to fuel their offence.
San Antonio’s defensive pressure changed the flow of the game
San Antonio adjusted its approach to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, moving away from the aggressive blitzing that Oklahoma City had exploited earlier in the series. Rather than trapping far from the basket, the Spurs focused on disciplined single coverage with well-timed support behind the play.
This shift made a significant impact. Stephon Castle took on Gilgeous-Alexander, with Devin Vassell and De’Aaron Fox adding fresh pressure throughout the game. The bigger impact was San Antonio’s ability to prevent Oklahoma City from generating easy opportunities off initial drives.
The Spurs closed off lanes, rotated quickly to shooters, and forced the Thunder into longer possessions. According to reports, Oklahoma City’s percentage of unguarded catch-and-shoot threes dropped from around 75% earlier in the series to just 44% in Game 4.
Wembanyama finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. The numbers only tell part of the story. His biggest impact came from where Oklahoma City stopped wanting to drive.
Because San Antonio trusted its perimeter defenders, Wembanyama was able to stay anchored closer to the paint instead of constantly rotating. That let the Spurs build layers around Gilgeous-Alexander instead of gambling at the point of attack. Every time Shai turned, there was another body waiting.
Spurs controlled the geometry of the floor
The result was a Thunder offence that looked uncomfortable almost immediately. After Game 3, Fox said Popovich “put the fear of God” into the team. But the real impact went beyond just a fiery speech.
The changes were tangible and immediate. The Spurs returned to the fundamentals that had defined their run up to that point. They pressured earlier in possessions, crowded catches, recovered faster, and competed harder around loose balls.
Victor Wembanyama described it as a return to discipline and faith in their approach, which sums up what really shifted for San Antonio. This wasn’t about becoming a different team. It was about getting back to what had worked all along.
The Thunder still hold the talent edge and home court advantage going into Game 5. But if San Antonio continues to keep Oklahoma City out of the middle, this matchup could start to swing. That’s what Popovich’s postgame message really changed.
He brought the focus back to what gives San Antonio a real chance in this series – force, organisation, and defensive discipline. The Spurs looked like a different team when those habits returned, and for once, it was Oklahoma City that struggled to find rhythm.
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