The Spurs Return Home Tonight Facing Elimination After Dropping Game 5 in Oklahoma City
The Spurs return to San Antonio tonight facing elimination after dropping Game 5 to the Thunder 127-114 in Oklahoma City.
To dispense with the BS and excuses, the team was outplayed and outcoached in Game 5. It is what it is.
Now the question becomes whether the Spurs can make the necessary adjustments heading into tonight’s Game 6 with the season on the line.
I’m still not sure what world the team is living in in which V-Dub only takes six first half shots and they expect to win. At least not at this point in the season, and definitely not against the defending champs.
V-Dub; the world’s most impactful player on BOTH sides of the ball, finished the first half of Game 5 with 11 points on 2-for-6 shooting and a single rebound. The Spurs trailed 69-58 at halftime and his plus/minus sat at -4. Let that sink in for a minute.
He ultimately finished with 20 points on 4-for-15 shooting, six rebounds, one assist, and three blocks while going 0-for-5 from distance. Maybe it was a rare off-night. Maybe it was the coaching staff not putting him in the best position for success against a team you’ve now seen 10 times. Either way, the Spurs need a completely different version of him tonight.
“It just felt like it was a little bit of everything in terms of we did not put ourselves in position enough to be successful on each possession,” coach Mitch Johnson said after Game 5. “And so, to beat a team of this caliber, in their building, with the stakes, we’ll need to be a lot better to give yourself a chance.”
Spurs Need Fox to Show Up
Stephon Castle continues to look like one of the few Spurs consistently rising to the moment. He led the team with 24 points, five rebounds, and six assists in Game 5 while continuing to take better care of the basketball with only three turnovers.
The team also got an unexpected boost from Julian Champagnie, who had struggled offensively throughout much of the series before responding with 22 points on 53% shooting and four made threes. Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson also delivered his best performance of the series with 15 points off the bench.
But heading into tonight, the biggest question remains the same:
Where in the world is De’Aaron Fox?
When the Spurs acquired Fox and later signed him to a 4-year, $229 million max extension, it looked like exactly the type of move a young team needed.
Fox is in his prime at 28 years old. He’s a two-time All-Star, an All-NBA selection, a former steals leader, and a former NBA Clutch Player of the Year. He once dropped 60 points in an overtime game against Minnesota just months before arriving in San Antonio.
He was EXACTLY what this roster needed. It felt like a fantastic investment in the future.
That future is now.
Fox finished Game 5 with nine points on 4-for-15 shooting and went 0-for-4 from three. Through five games in the series, he’s averaging 17 points and six assists — numbers the Spurs simply cannot survive on against Oklahoma City.
At the end of the day this is professional sports, keyword professional.
Fox is making $37 million this season according to ESPN and is scheduled to make nearly $50 million during the 2026-27 season. For the record, I’m still a De’Aaron Fox fan and still believe he fits this roster. But heading into tonight’s Game 6, the Spurs need a significantly better return on that investment.
Up Next
Game 6 — Oklahoma City Thunder at Spurs
Tonight | 7:30 p.m. | Frost Bank Center
TV: NBC / Peacock
OKC Leads Series 3-2
