San Antonio Spurs force decisive Game 7 after dominant win over Oklahoma City Thunder

[p]The Spurs were aggressive [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=ShY82sph"]in a win-or-go-home clas[/a]h with the defending champion Thunder, roared on by a boisterous crowd to keep alive their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals, where the red-hot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] await.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harper-dylan/E95BW6Df/"]Dylan Harper[/a] added 18 points from the bench as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] bounced back from Tuesday's disappointing loss to tie up the best-of-seven series at 3-3.[/p][p]The final game takes place in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a] on Saturday.[/p][p]"[b]We ain't done nothing yet,[/b]" said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Wembanyama[/a], who collected 10 rebounds and made three blocks.[/p][p]"[b]When your back's against the wall, it feels like it's the best opportunity,[/b]" he added.[/p][p]Wembanyama, after an uncharacteristically poor game five, arrived at his first-ever playoff elimination game with ferocious intent.[/p][p]The seven-foot-four French superstar - this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year - came out of the blocks fast, following his teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/champagnie-julian/vuyUXnGn/"]Julian Champagnie[/a]'s quickfire three-pointer with two pinpoint range efforts of his own, plus a block, to open an almost immediate 9-2 Spurs lead.[/p][p]Reigning two-time Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] - who poured in 32 points in the previous game - looked unsettled.[/p][p]He was swarmed by the Spurs defense, missing multiple mid-range efforts.[/p][p]The sharp-shooting Spurs' eight three-pointers in the first quarter were their most of any post-season quarter this year.[/p][embed guid="e5c00425-f382-4a60-bfab-ef4216cb4cc3" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2060194831314395645?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Wembanyama and San Antonio's energy and shot accuracy dipped slightly in the second quarter. The Thunder headed into the half-time break somehow just seven points down.[/p][p]But the Spurs went on an astonishing 20-0 run in the third quarter to put the game out of sight.[/p][p]They were assisted by a disintegrating Oklahoma City offense that missed 13 field goal attempts in a row and went scoreless for more than seven minutes, scoring just 13 points in the third quarter.[/p][p]With six minutes left, and the Spurs up 28 points, both teams' starters were benched to rest up for the decider, and the home crowd began to sing "Ole".[/p][h2]'Do or die'[/h2][p]"[b]Tonight was do or die, and a lot of fans are going to be happy,[/b]" said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.[/p][p]He vowed his team would be "[b]ready to go into a hostile environment[/b]" against the defending champions, and expects Oklahoma City to bring "their best punch" in game seven.[/p][p]"[b]We're gonna go with our eyes wide open and expecting nothing less,[/b]" he promised.[/p][p]Having spurned this chance to become the first team to reach back-to-back NBA Finals since the Golden State Warriors in 2019, the Thunder will have to seize another opportunity on home court this weekend.[/p][p]"[b]When you lose the way we did tonight, there's a lot more we could have done, that's what we'll look at,[/b]" said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.[/p][p]"[b]We'll go out there and try to do our best to execute those things in game seven to give ourselves the best chance to win.[/b]"[/p][p]The Knicks will play the victors, well rested after sweeping both the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland Cavaliers[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]Philadelphia 76ers[/a] in an 11-game winning streak on their way to the finals.[/p]