The defending champion Thunder have never looked so vulnerable! The Spurs have turned up the heat, and the two teams are set for a decisive Game 5.

103-82, the Spurs claimed a big win.

The East finals are lopsided; the West finals go to a decisive Game 5.

The importance of Game 4 for the Spurs is self-evident.

The team cannot accept traveling to Oklahoma City with a 1-3 series deficit.

A 2-2 tie and a 1-3 deficit are completely different situations. If they lose home court today, bluntly speaking, the next stop will likely be a "farewell ceremony."

Facing this scenario, what can they do?

At this stage of the Western Conference finals, there aren't many strategic or tactical adjustments left; both sides have already shown most of their cards.

The only thing that can be adjusted is their own initiative.

It's not about the will to win, but the will to survive.

If I had to use one word to describe today's Spurs, it would be: maxed out.

Maximum fight, maximum offense and defense, maximum effort, maximum physicality.

In the past, Cornet would lose points as soon as he stepped on the court? Well, before overwhelming you, I even maxed out Wembanyama's minutes too.

Rest? That's not something to consider today.

Putting everything into one battle, the Spurs unleashed tremendous energy.

What was displayed on the court was undoubtedly the level of physical confrontation.

Using high-intensity physicality to restrict opponent advances, pressing tightly to compress the Thunder's ball-handling space, fighting for rebounds under the basket without giving an inch, repeatedly colliding during plays, and disrupting offensive rhythm with tough defense.

The Thunder responded with an equally hard-nosed approach.

Driving to the rim, setting screens and boxing out with full force—both sides engaged in constant power struggles, with muscular battles appearing frequently.

Under high-intensity physical play, player fatigue skyrocketed, and the level of physical contact was high. Every shot and every pass had to be executed while withstanding body interference.

The second quarter was emblematic—both teams found it extremely difficult to score from the field.

With so much physical contact, even the defending champion seemed out of their element.

The Thunder's three bench stars, so dominant in Game 3, lost their magic today.

The bench that dropped over 70 points last game had only 6 at halftime this time...

After raising the level of physicality, the Thunder couldn't hit three-pointers.

It's hard to believe that the defending champion's third three-pointer didn't come until near the end of the third quarter.

Before the series started, why did we think the Spurs had a chance? A major reason was that they could match the physical intensity.

Sustaining that intensity relies on personnel.

High-quality team defense is always built on individual defensive ability.

What the Lakers couldn't do, the Spurs can.

Take the backcourt for instance—San Antonio has Castle and Harper.

Especially that kid Castle—either he ate two pounds of oysters before the game, or he ate two pounds of springs...

That kind of energy, that desperate style of play, embodies the phrase: "Our world has no tomorrow."

As for Wembanyama's ability, there's no need to elaborate.

He put up a comprehensive stat line of 33 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks, with a game-high plus-minus of +29.

His presence on the court is a threat in itself.

To wrap up, here's a little story—purely fictional:

After losing Game 3, Popovich visited the Spurs' locker room again. The old man pulled out a videotape, which became the key to the Spurs' big win today.

In the footage, a Chinese coach shouted to his players, his words resounding:

"If you're not aggressive, you'll get whistled. If you are aggressive, you'll also get whistled. So why not be aggressive? If you're not aggressive, don't even think about playing!"

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