Spurs Player Ratings: Victor Wembanyama Leads Team To Dominant Game 6 Win Against Thunder

The San Antonio Spurs have forced a win-or-go-home Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 to tie the series up at 3-3. The 118-91 win is an incredible achievement for a young Spurs squad that iced the game in the third quarter and got some much-needed rest in the fourth quarter before what promises to be a grueling final game between these rivals.

Victor Wembanyama rebounded from the worst game of his young Playoff career with a statement performance in Game 6 to comprehensively lead the franchise to a win tonight. His key teammates also stepped up; meanwhile, everyone on the Thunder failed to provide an offensive spark, from two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to their bench unit, who had been the highest-scoring second unit in the postseason.

Let’s take a look at how the Spurs players performed in this elimination Game 6 against the Thunder.

Victor Wembanyama: A+

Game Stats: 28 PTS, 10 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 3 TOV, 10-21 FG, 4-9 3P, 4-4 FT, 28 MIN

Wembanyama rebounded from a rough Game 5 performance with a dominant showing in Game 6, where he fearlessly attacked the Thunder’s defense to force scoring opportunities. That strategy worked well, as Wembanyama shot just under 50% from the field and was a consistent scoring presence throughout the game. He was most effective in the first half, with 22 points on 9-16 shooting.

He locked in defensively in the third quarter, with the Spurs holding OKC to 13 points over 12 minutes and giving Wembanyama a chance to rest in the fourth quarter with the game already decided. It was an effective performance for the French center, with his defensive impact not quite being measured in the box score.

Stephon Castle: A

Game Stats: 17 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 5-10 FG, 0-2 3P, 7-8 FT, 32 MIN

Stephon Castle had another solid game in Game 6, with the turnover-heavy nightmares of Games 1 and 2 long forgotten by now. Even with the early turnovers, Castle has clearly been San Antonio’s second-best player in this series, finding ways to impact the game on both sides of the floor whenever he’s on the court.

He’s had a fantastic defensive series while guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he’s been a consistent scoring presence as well, averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.3 steals. Castle’s production was one of the key difference-makers outside Wembanyama, as every star needs their co-star to have competent games on their end as well.

Dylan Harper: A

Game Stats: 18 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 TOV, 6-9 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-4 FT, 22 MIN

Dylan Harper had been having a terrible series through the first five games, dealing with an adductor injury and playing through it to ensure he can contribute to the franchise. While the last four games have been dull affairs for Harper, he broke out in Game 6 to deliver his finest performance of the series yet.

He was an efficient three-level scorer and a competent defender in this clash, looking more comfortable on the floor tonight than he has at any other point this series. With De’Aaron Fox clearly still struggling with his injury, the Spurs needed this sort of performance from Harper to secure this win, and they will need it again if they want to win Game 7 on the road and go to the NBA Finals.

Devin Vassell: B+

Game Stats: 12 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TOV, 4-7 FG, 4-7 3P, 26 MIN

Devin Vassell had a quiet but excellent game as a three-and-D option for the Spurs. He didn’t demand much on-ball attention but made sure to shoot efficient threes when he got the opportunity. He was a constant pest on defense, playing as a help defender on the perimeter, taking on individual matchups, and fighting through screens. His quiet but productive nights have been one of the biggest x-factors for the Spurs all season.

Julian Champagnie: B

Game Stats: 10 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TOV, 4-8 FG, 2-6 3P, 25 MIN

Julian Champagnie led the Spurs in plus/minus with a +24 on the night. He was one of the biggest parts of the Spurs’ third-quarter dominance, with seven of Champagnie’s 10 points on the night coming in that quarter. He was a +21 just in the third quarter, with the team’s success interceding with his presence on the court all night.

Keldon Johnson: B

Game Stats: 9 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 4-7 FG, 1-3 3P, 18 MIN

Keldon Johnson showed signs of life in Game 6 after a rough Playoff run, making an efficient impact in limited minutes. While the Sixth Man of the Year has definitely lost his status as the team’s Sixth Man in the postseason behind Dylan Harper, Johnson was a high-energy wing option that played a decent amount of minutes and had reasonable production, given the circumstances.

De’Aaron Fox: C+

Game Stats: 5 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 1-9 FG, 0-3 3P, 3-4 FT, 26 MIN

De’Aaron Fox might be forcing himself to play through an ankle injury, but that decision has also had a bad effect on his production in this series. Game 6 was arguably Fox’s worst scoring performance of the postseason, but the point guard found ways to be effective as a playmaker and defender. The Spurs needed Fox back in the lineup, not as a scorer but as their primary ball-handler, which has cleaned up the Spurs’ turnovers from Games 1 and 2 without him.

Luke Kornet: C+

Game Stats: 3 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 1-2 FG, 1-2 FT, 13 MIN

Luke Kornet has had the lowest plus/minus of any Spurs player in this series, primarily because he’s Wembanyama’s backup. Production is bound to fall without your best player, so the plus/minus stats don’t do justice to Kornet’s production within his role. He played 13 minutes and was a constant presence on the boards, taking shots only when absolutely necessary. It was unimpressive but stable, which is the kind of performance the Spurs need from Kornet in Game 7 as well.

Carter Bryant: C

Game Stats: 2 PTS, 4 REB, 1 TOV, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3P, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3P, 8 MIN

Carter Bryant had a low-impact game with his only real minutes coming in the second quarter. He was a strong defensive presence when he played, with the Spurs resting him in the fourth outside of a three-minute cameo.

Harrison Barnes: C

Game Stats: 6 PTS, 1 REB, 1 TOV, 2-4 FG, 2-4 3P, 13 MIN

Harrison Barnes also had a 13-minute cameo in this clash, but he had no impact on the game before scoring six points in garbage time. Since he is a rotational player, we have to grade him, but it was an unimpressive performance until garbage time.