OKC Thunder Discover Late-Game Formula in Critical Game 4 Win over Spurs

As evidenced by their 111-97 victory over the San Antonio Spurs to even up the series 2-2, the Oklahoma City Thunder don't understand how narratives are supposed to work. 

The Spurs are supposed to be the unstoppable juggernaut capable of shutting down even the NBA's best offenses. The Spurs were supposed to steamroll through the competition en route to a Western Conference Finals matchup with the 73-win Golden State Warriors. The Thunder are supposed to be the squad on the cusp of that top tier, plagued by simplistic offensive sets and half-court misexecution, always a buck short in crunch time.

So much for that.

During a 34-16 fourth quarter, OKC throttled its opponent. While Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Dion Waiters (yes, Dion Waiters), Enes Kanter and company ran legitimate offense, the Spurs devolved and fell in love with ill-fated isolation plays. 

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According to NBA.com's statistical databases, the Thunder were outscored by 1.2 points per 100 possessions during fourth-quarter action in the regular season. For clutch situations (the last five minutes of games separated by no more than five points), they posted a minus-8.3 net rating—better than only six lottery teams. 

The opposite storyline unraveled for the Spurs. They had a 15.4 net rating in clutch moments, trailing only the Dallas Mavericks (16.0) and Golden State Warriors (38.6). In fourth quarters, that number stood at a similarly impressive 10.4. 

But Sunday night, the scripts were reversed. 

San Antonio was inexplicably content letting David West or LaMarcus Aldridge attack in a back-to-the-basket set with hardly any off-ball action. Even when it tried to have a shooter such as Danny Green extricate himself from the clutches of OKC's defense, the screens were weak, leading to contested looks or opportunities that didn't even result in shots. 

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Teams coached by Gregg Popovich usually thrive down the stretch. They've historically been masters of execution while refusing to engage in careless activities that lead to turnovers. But the Spurs coughed the ball up three times during the final period, and that was one of many scenarios where Oklahoma City let its desire and hustle shine through. 

Even though Waiters missed this fast-break attempt, Westbrook's subsequent display of body-sacrificing heart served as a microcosm for the fourth quarter as a whole:

Though the phrase "they wanted it more" is a meaningless cliche that rarely applies to professional sports—seriously, let Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban enlighten you on the topic if you so desire—Westbrook played like he had no intentions of losing. His shooting performance (5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc) won't go down in history as a particularly impressive one, but he still played the right way. 

"Just too many shots. I've got to do a better job getting guys shots," he told reporters after his 31-shot showing in Game 3, per Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. "I've got to get other guys involved, especially to beat this team. I've got to read and find ways to get guys shots."

Though the dynamic point guard still called his own number a bit too often early in the fourth quarter, he did try to follow his own advice. 

It's worth noting this isn't anything new. Westbrook averaged a career-best 10.4 assists during the regular season, constantly showcasing his willingness to get everyone going. It was only by keeping defenses on their toes with his dual-threat ability that he was able to realize his full potential as a scorer. 

"That was always the curiosity in Westbrook's newfound pass-first mentality—how would that translate when the games really started counting? It's one thing to pile up assists against the Kings and Lakers in January," ESPN.com's Royce Young wrote after Game 3. "It's another to do it in the boiling cauldron of the postseason."

Westbrook finished with 15 dimes and just three turnovers during the home victory.

Plus, some of his many missed shots came right around the rim as he relentlessly pursued offensive rebounds and putback attempts. 

Quite a few of those assists also helped keep Durant rolling. To provide finishing touches on his 41-spot, the superstar forward single-handedly outscored the Spurs during the fourth quarter, torching Kawhi Leonard and whoever else was unfortunate enough to be matched up against him.

Entering this game, the former MVP was likely aware of the buzz that this could be his last time wearing a home uniform at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Leaving it, he'd changed yet another narrative, forcing the focus back to his current form rather than his future free-agency decision: 

In doing so, he received some untempered praise from Popovich, per Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman: 

Though we're used to seeing Durant run isolation sets down the stretch, head coach Billy Donovan did a fantastic job getting him involved in off-ball action. He was running the baselines, curling around screens and looking for catch-and-shoot opportunities, allowing him to get in rhythm while conserving energy for the defense he'd have to play against Leonard on the other end.  

Durant is a special enough offensive talent when he's forced to work relentlessly for every point. But when the Thunder make things easy for him, his play rises into the stratosphere. 

If the Thunder can consistently set pin-down screens like these and create such simple off-ball chances for their best scorer, their late-game woes will dissipate: 

But the positives don't end with the two marquee players.

Steven Adams continued to do yeoman's work on the glass, bodying up endless hordes of San Antonio bigs and setting a tone physically. Randy Foye provided a nice offensive spark after Donovan inserted him back into the rotation at the expense of struggling rookie point guard Cameron Payne. Waiters caught fire and still played unselfish basketball that allowed him to remain in full control, involving his teammates at opportune moments. 

This was a team effort, and that's exactly what it takes to beat the Spurs. Realizing that and continuing to play with such knowledge will be crucial as the stage shifts back to San Antonio, since we're now looking at a best-of-three series. 

Of course, even though the visitors couldn't get anything going during an uncharacteristically poor final period, they have to feel good about their position. Two of the next three games—if three are indeed necessary—will be played at the AT&T Center, where they've lost just twice in 45 contests. The odds still have to be in their favor. 

But Oklahoma City has to feel as if it discovered the magic formula for Game 5 Tuesday night. 

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OKC proved just how good the offense can look when eschewing hero-ball stylings that have often held it back during crucial situations. It showed it can not only hold its own down the stretch against a team renowned for late-game execution, but also have a single player outscore the entire opposition without relentlessly forcing him the ball at the expense of team-oriented offense.

This was only a single, series-leveling victory for the Thunder, but it should feel like so much more. 

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com or NBAMath.com.