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19 hours ago
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The San Antonio Spurs kept pushing towards the end of Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder but it was to no avail. A lot of mistakes snowballed into the 122-113 loss and a tied NBA Playoffs series between the two juggernauts. Stephon Castle had to take a lot of the guard duties due to the injuries of Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox. He had a lot of big mistakes but still notched a big record that no one has done before.
Castle gets NBA Playoffs record despite mistakes and Spurs' loss to Thunder
Stephon Castle was the person Coach Mitch Johnson relied on the most in Game 2. With the exception of his game-altering nine turnovers, he did pretty decently against the loaded Thunder squad. By the end of the game, he recorded 25 points on a 58.8% field goal percentage and also knocking down all four of his free throw attempts. Moreover, the young Spurs guard also dropped eight assists while also snatching a steal away from the potent Thunder offense.
When the numbers are crunched, Castle achieved a record in NBA Playoffs history that no one has ever touched. He is the youngest player in league history to have a conference finals game with 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists, per StatMuse.
It became clear that Coach Johnson and the Spurs needed Castle out there to be their reliable ballhandler. However, his massive turnovers were a big reason for why the Thunder got so much offensive momentum towards the end. There is effort in everything the young Spurs guard does but it is apparent that his veteran acumen is still developing.
Can Coach Johnson and the Spurs defend their homecourt as Castle continues to progress into stardom? Will the Thunder keep exposing him in Games 3 and 4? Only time will tell.
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