Wemby, Spurs Beat Thunder as Fans Applaud OKC Bench with SGA, Chet, More Out

Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs past a shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder squad on Wednesday night, winning by the final score of 116-106 at the Frost Bank Center.

The Spurs only led by six points with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but immediately went on a 6-0 run to seal the win.

Wembanyama finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 9-of-16 from the field. He also connected on one of his two attempts from behind the arc.

It's worth noting that the Thunder were missing several key contributors including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell.

Despite the loss, fans were impressed with the production from Oklahoma City's backups.

San Antonio started Wednesday's game with a 23-21 lead before closing the first quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 13-point advantage into the second.

The Spurs didn't show many signs of slowing down in the second quarter, leading by as many as 22 points. They eventually held a 73-58 edge at halftime.

The Thunder opened the third quarter on an 11-4 run of their own to cut into the deficit, although San Antonio quickly gained a double-digit lead once again.

Oklahoma City finally made its late run in the fourth quarter, but ultimately couldn't secure an improbable win.

Kenrich Williams led the way for the Thunder with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, while Jaylin Williams chipped in with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Brooks Barnhizer, who is currently playing on a two-way contract with Oklahoma City, scored 14 points and dished out five assists off the bench.

As for the Spurs, they also received contributions from their reserves. Keldon Johnson finished with a team-high 25 points off the bench, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

Backup center Luke Kornet grabbed 15 rebounds in 15 minutes on the floor.

San Antonio emerged victorious due to its success around the basket, scoring 56 points in the paint compared to 26 for Oklahoma City. The Spurs also pulled down 63 rebounds as a team, while the Thunder only recorded 46 boards.

Following Wednesday's result, San Antonio is now five games back from Oklahoma City for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings.