Here are the top performers on May 25 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Victor Wembanyama SAS C 33 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST | 61.1 FPS
Down 2-1 in the series, the Spurs needed Wemby to go all out today, and that’s exactly what he did. Offensively, he was again impressive from the field, shooting 50% or better for the fourth consecutive game and finishing with his fourth 30-point game of the playoffs. In other areas, he has been consistently dominant in this series, and he should be able to maintain that level going forward.
BREAKOUT:
Kenrich Williams OKC PF 10 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST | 22.5 FPS
For much of the playoffs, Williams has been out of the rotation. But with several key players unavailable, the forward stepped into the lineup today and delivered a brilliant scoring performance. He is clearly capable of producing at a high level offensively, as he showed multiple times during the regular season, and he should be able to do the same in Game 5 if the minutes are there.
SLEEPER:
Isaiah Hartenstein OKC C 12 PTS | 7 REB | 3 AST | 23.9 FPS
Hartenstein has quietly emerged as one of the team’s most important players in this series, averaging 9.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 52% from the field over the last three games. His production could become even more crucial in this matchup, especially if Holmgren doesn’t get going soon.
ELITE ASSET:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC PG 19 PTS | 7 AST | 2 STL | 36.3 FPS
SGA had a difficult time offensively today, shooting just 6-for-15 from the field and scoring fewer than 20 points for only the second time this postseason. Obviously, he hasn’t been at his best offensively in this series, shooting just 39% from the field, including 26.7% from three-point range. However, he has been able to offset some of those struggles with his steady production at the free-throw line, where he has gone 33-for-34 through four games.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
De’Aaron Fox SAS PG 12 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 37.5 FPS
Since returning from an ankle injury, Fox has struggled offensively, and that was again the case in Game 4 as he finished with his lowest scoring output in his last seven games. Even so, he has continued to make a big impact in the series, and that was evident today as he recorded a playoff-high in rebounds while committing no turnovers.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Devin Vassell SAS SG 13 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 29.7 FPS
Offensively, Vassell has been highly reliable in the playoffs, scoring in double figures in all 15 games. He had also been playing much better lately, posting consecutive 20-point performances. Though he couldn’t match that level today, he remained efficient while also finishing with a complete stat line.
STREAMER:
Isaiah Joe OKC SG 11 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 28.0 FPS
Since hitting four threes and finishing with a playoff-high in Game 3 against the Lakers, Joe has mostly been out of the rotation. But he was back in the lineup today and took full advantage, finishing with a full stat line while also posting his second double-digit scoring game of the postseason.
FLOPPER:
Alex Caruso OKC SG 2 REB | 1 AST | 2 BLK | 9.9 FPS
Through the first three games of this series, Caruso has been a surprise contributor, playing solidly on both ends of the floor with averages of 21.0 points, 4.7 threes, and 2.7 stocks. However, he was far below that standard today, finishing scoreless for the first time in over two months. Still, the Thunder will continue to need him in this matchup, especially with several key players sidelined.
