Victor Wembanyama did not speak with reporters after the San Antonio Spurs’ 127-114 Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, a quiet exit that matched the frustration of a rough performance in a pivotal Western Conference finals game.
Sam Amick reported that Wembanyama declined to do media after the game and left Paycom Center as midnight approached local time. The decision came after the Spurs fell behind 3-2 in the series and moved one loss away from elimination.
Wembanyama finished with 20 points, but the numbers did not tell the full story of how difficult the night was. He shot 4-for-15 from the field, missed all five of his 3-point attempts and was unable to consistently generate the paint pressure San Antonio needed against Oklahoma City’s defense.
The Thunder’s second-quarter surge changed the game. Oklahoma City scored 40 points in the period, and San Antonio could not fully recover despite briefly cutting the deficit to eight in the second half.
The loss was part of a fast swing in the series, with the Spurs winning Game 4 at home after Oklahoma City had controlled earlier stretches. Game 5 flipped that momentum back, and the Thunder were able to lean on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points, Alex Caruso’s 22 off the bench and another strong all-around night from their frontcourt.
San Antonio did get offensive production from Stephon Castle, who scored 24 points, and Julian Champagnie, who added 22. But the Spurs also missed 29 of their 41 3-point attempts, a sign that the offense never quite found enough clean rhythm to keep pace.
For Wembanyama, the numbers from the postseason have remained strong overall even as Oklahoma City has made every possession difficult. He entered Game 5 averaging 23.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in the playoffs, but the Thunder made him work for nearly everything on Tuesday.
The Spurs now head to Game 6 in San Antonio on Thursday with their season on the line. If they extend the series, Game 7 would return to Oklahoma City on Saturday, with the winner advancing to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
