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Nobody’s talking about this Spurs coaching edge that once dismantled Thunder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs are set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, with the series scheduled to tip off on Tuesday. San Antonio booked their place in the conference showdown after delivering a dominant 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6.
The Spurs are already enjoying a momentum heading to the Thunder game, and it's quite interesting. The last team to eliminate the Thunder in the playoffs was the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals.
That Mavericks defensive unit was constructed under the guidance of Sean Sweeney, who now serves as the Spurs’ lead assistant coach.
This sets up a tactical battle between Sweeney and the Thunder’s high-powered offense, which is almost like a playoff chess match played at the highest level. Sweeney now has a phenomenal roster at his disposal in San Antonio, featuring elite players like Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
It is believed that the Spurs may have a psychological edge entering the series, as they clearly controlled the head-to-head matchup in the regular season against the Thunder. The Spurs won four of the five meetings against the Thunder, and it is safe to say that they have already found ways to disrupt one of the league’s most consistent teams.
A key factor in those earlier meetings was the Spurs’ defensive execution, as they effectively contained Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder offense. They held the Thunder below their usual scoring output in three of the five matchups. If the Spurs can replicate that success, it could once again slow down the Thunder's transition-heavy attack.
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- Insane trade idea swirls around Kevin Durant and multiple first-round picks
- You need to see this photo of Victor Wembanyama's scratched up arm
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