The louder Frost Bank Center became Friday night with each momentum-shifting play in the opening minutes, the darker the cloud of anticipatory anxiety grew.
De’Aaron Fox’s triumphant return to the floor — and Victor Wembanyama’s new embracing of physicality — had invigorated the Spurs. Fox’s immediate injection of speed, tempo control and leadership paired with all things Wembanyama became the catalyst of a blistering 19-4 start, a burst of energy so emotional and impactful that it threatened to blow the roof off the building.
But as valiant as their early efforts were, they eventually would have to go to the bench. Fox, returning from a high ankle sprain, could not be overexerted at this stage in what appears to be a lengthy series; Wembanyama, having picked up early fouls, was subject to head coach Mitch Johnson’s typical rotation patterns.
No Wembanyama meant an emboldened, prideful Thunder group eager to attack from multiple angles without apprehension. No Fox left a young team without a true veteran presence on the floor in the most important minutes of their playoff lives.
“It was a punch,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said following OKC’s 123-108 win to take a 2-1 series lead in the West finals. “Credit them, they were ready to play and they got us early in stops and transition.