Here are the top performers on May 29 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Victor Wembanyama SAS C 28 PTS | 10 REB | 3 BLK | 55.0 FPS
Obviously, Wemby has given the Spurs everything they need in this series. Defensively, he has been consistent, averaging 4.5 stocks per game. Offensively, although he has been less efficient in his last two games, he still delivered, finishing with at least 20 points in every game of this matchup. He also took on a much bigger offensive load today, attempting 20 shots from the field for the third time in this series — and all of those games resulted in wins. Certainly, the Spurs will need nothing less than this kind of performance in Game 7 if they want to make it to the Finals.
BREAKOUT:
Dylan Harper SAS SG 18 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST | 30.2 FPS
Offensively, Harper has mostly looked off in this series. Despite scoring 24 points in Game 1, he was ineffective from deep, shooting just 1-for-7. It has gotten worse over the last three games, as he averaged just six points on 5-for-16 shooting. However, he stepped up in a huge way today, shooting efficiently from all levels to finish as the game’s second-leading scorer.
SLEEPER:
Cason Wallace OKC SG 11 PTS | 3 REB | 3 STL | 23.1 FPS
Defensively, Wallace has been dependable in this series. Through the first five games, he’s averaged 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. He maintained that production today while also providing an extra spark on the scoring end. He came up huge in the second quarter, pouring in 11 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from deep. Certainly, his ability to score will be important in Game 7.
ELITE ASSET:
Stephon Castle SAS PG 17 PTS | 5 REB | 9 AST | 38.5 FPS
Since Fox returned to the lineup, Castle has started to pick up his game on the offensive end. Once again, he delivered, leading all players in playmaking today while also recording just a single turnover — the third time in his last four games. In terms of scoring, he’s been much more impressive over his last two games, shooting 12-for-22 from the field and 14-for-16 from the free-throw line. Clearly, Castle has emerged as one of the best players in this series, and the Spurs will definitely remain reliant on him in Game 7.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Chet Holmgren OKC C 10 PTS | 11 REB | 2 BLK | 33.7 FPS
Compared to his performances in the first two series, his production against the Spurs has been underwhelming. Still, he has been effective in the paint, averaging 12.0 points on 13-for-25 shooting from two-point range along with 10.3 rebounds over the last three games. With their season on the line, the Thunder will definitely need Holmgren to bring more to the table in the next game.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
De’Aaron Fox SAS PG 5 PTS | 5 REB | 7 AST | 21.5 FPS
Fox has been sidelined in the first two games of this series by an ankle injury. While he’s been able to play through it, he’s been far from his usual standard. That was the case again today, as he hit just 1-of-9 from the field and set a new playoff low in scoring. Though he’s struggled so far, he’s undeniably capable of turning things around when needed.
STREAMER:
Julian Champagnie SAS SF 10 PTS | 6 REB | 2 BLK | 28.2 FPS
Champagnie came up huge in Game 5 with his first-ever 20-point playoff game, and while he was well below that level today, he found other ways to impact the game. Still, he’s more reliable with his outside shooting, knocking down a total of 40 threes in these playoffs, becoming one of just five players to do so, and this version of him is going to be even more crucial in Game 7.
FLOPPER:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC PG 15 PTS | 1 REB | 4 AST | 20.2 FPS
This performance was the exact opposite of Game 5. Offensively, he couldn’t find his rhythm, shooting just 6-for-18 from the field, including missing all five of his attempts from three, while also going just 3-for-3 at the line. With that, he finished under the 20-point mark for the third time in the playoffs after not doing so all season, and also set a new season-worst in scoring. Through six games in this matchup, he has made more free throws (8.7 per game on average) than field goals, where he has converted 7.3 per game. Still, he should be able to deliver in both areas in Game 7.
