Persaingan sengit antara San Antonio Spurs dan Oklahoma City Thunder akan berlanjut pada laga kelima babak final Wilayah Barat playoff NBA 2026 di Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, pada Selasa malam waktu setempat atau Rabu pagi WIB.
Kedua tim saat ini mencatat kedudukan imbang 2-2 setelah Spurs berhasil menyamakan skor lewat kemenangan telak 103-82 pada laga keempat hari Minggu lalu.
Dilansir dari nba.com, pelatih Thunder Mark Daigneault menegaskan pentingnya memulai setiap pertandingan dari awal tanpa terpengaruh oleh hasil laga sebelumnya.
"There’s a reason we talk about getting to zero every game. We played great the other night. We went and earned those two wins and none of that carried over and nothing from (Game 4) will carry over in Game 5. That’s a blank slate. We have the same exact opportunity that they do to go get that game." kata Mark Daigneault, Pelatih Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mengenai performa ofensif timnya yang kurang maksimal pada laga keempat, Daigneault menambahkan bahwa masalah tersebut merupakan tanggung jawab kolektif seluruh pemain.
"We went to him a little bit at different times," tutur Mark Daigneault, Pelatih Oklahoma City Thunder.
"But I just thought the global approach offensively didn’t benefit anybody. It was more of a five-man issue and us holistically." sambung Mark Daigneault, Pelatih Oklahoma City Thunder.
Terkait evaluasi tim setelah menderita kekalahan besar pada pertandingan terakhir, Daigneault menilai ada aspek pertahanan lawan dan kesalahan dari timnya sendiri yang perlu diperbaiki.
"You have to look at the process in a clear-eyed manner and see what corrections you can make," jelas Mark Daigneault, Pelatih Oklahoma City Thunder.
"And I think some of the turnovers and some of the shooting was a result of the way we played and a result of the way they defended. I’d never take away credit from them. It’s a little bit of both probably. It wasn’t our night, but at the same time we could have been a lot better, and we need to be a lot better in Game 5 if we want to compete in the game." papar Mark Daigneault, Pelatih Oklahoma City Thunder.
Punggawa Spurs Devin Vassell memberikan pujian khusus kepada rekan setimnya, Stephon Castle, yang dinilai sukses meredam pergerakan bintang lawan di lini pertahanan luar.
"Best perimeter defender in the league," ucap Devin Vassell, Pemain San Antonio Spurs.
"And he holds himself to that standard. He buys in all the time. He’s physical. He knows how to slide his feet, has quick hands and is just a pest the whole game. You don’t want to get beat up all game – getting hit, getting hit, getting hit, and that’s what Steph does." tambah Devin Vassell, Pemain San Antonio Spurs.
Di sisi lain, bintang utama San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama mengungkapkan pandangannya mengenai keseruan adu strategi yang terjadi sepanjang seri ini berlangsung.
"There’s definitely similarities, as in any strategy game," ungkap Victor Wembanyama, Pemain San Antonio Spurs.
"It’s fun. It’s very fun. In the playoffs at some point, especially when a series drags on, everybody knows the other team almost by heart. ... I would say the coaches hold a lot of this load of the chess match, the coaching staff, all the strategy, it’s a lot." urai Victor Wembanyama, Pemain San Antonio Spurs.
Sementara itu, guard andalan Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mengakui realitas posisi kedua tim saat ini yang harus memulai kembali perebutan kemenangan dari awal.
"The series is 2-2 and basically zero-zero and it’s first to two games now," kata Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pemain Oklahoma City Thunder.
"I mean, it’s not at the front of our mind, but it is a fact and it is the reality of where we are." pungkas Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pemain Oklahoma City Thunder.
Berdasarkan catatan statistik, pertemuan kedua tim di final wilayah pada tahun 2012 dan 2014 juga sempat imbang 2-2 dalam empat laga awal.
Berdasarkan data dari apnews.com, pemenang laga kelima pada situasi imbang seperti ini tercatat selalu berhasil menutup seri dengan kemenangan di laga keenam pada sejarah playoff NBA sebelumnya.
