Spurs vs Thunder

Spurs 120, Thunder 115. Five in a row for San Antonio. Sochan with 26 on 10-of-18, a real coming-out night in a season that's been building toward one.

What the box score won't tell you

The Spurs aren't beating the Thunder on talent. OKC has more top-end. San Antonio is winning these games on defensive rotations, and over the last five they've held opponents to 43.2% from the field. That's a top-five defensive number across the league, and it's the reason they're keeping play-in hopes alive past the all-star break when most people had them in the lottery.

Sochan's 26-point night gets the headline. The quieter line is the offensive rebounds — San Antonio outboarded OKC on the offensive glass 14 to 8, and the second-chance points were exactly the margin in a five-point game.

Where OKC is leaking points

Bench depth. Same story as the last five games. Their starters are playing 35+ minute nights and dropping off in the fourth, and the gap between their top six and their bench is wider than any of the teams ahead of them. Watching the fourth quarter you can see the legs go on Williams' jumper.

The schedule's about to get harder — two against Denver and one in Memphis before the end of the month. If they don't find a bench scorer or move someone at the deadline, this stretch could be the slide that drops them out of the top four in the West.

What to actually buy if you're watching

If you want NBA League Pass for the run-in, a League Pass gift card is the cleanest way in. Single-team for $99/season is the value play if you only care about one team.

For Spurs gear: the Sochan jersey is the move of the year and Fanatics has the on-court replica for around $130. The cheaper Sochan jersey on eBay is around $50 if you're not picky about tags.

If you watch a lot of basketball, a 1080p projector under $200 turns a Spurs-Thunder Tuesday into the kind of game-watching that justifies skipping the bar.

The pick for the rest of the week

Spurs at Memphis Wednesday is a tough one — Grizzlies are healthier than they've been all year and play the kind of defence that doesn't let Sochan get his looks easily. Take Memphis at home. The Spurs' streak ends at five. Thunder at Denver Thursday is closer to a coin flip than the line suggests — OKC's been more competitive on the road than home this month.