San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle delivered a strong showing in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, backing up his pregame words with a composed performance.
Castle had spoken candidly to the NBC crew before tip-off, addressing what the Spurs discussed after reviewing their 127-114 defeat in Game 5 of the series.
“As a group we all want this. It’s right there in front of us and we feel collectively that we’re better than this team,” Castle told the NBC crew ahead of Game 6.
Castle delivered on those words, scoring 17 points and recording a game-high nine assists in the crucial contest for San Antonio.
Heading into Game 7, Castle carries series averages of 18.3 points and 7.8 assists per game, numbers that have been vital to the Spurs’ hopes throughout the series.
His production has been particularly important given that veteran De’Aaron Fox has not been performing at full health during the playoff run.
The Western Conference champion will be determined in Oklahoma City on Saturday, with the winner set to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Castle had already made franchise history earlier this postseason, becoming the youngest player in Spurs history to score at least 30 points in a playoff game.
His record-breaking performance came at age 21 years and 174 days, when he scored 33 points to etch his name into the Spurs’ record books.
Castle joins a list of young stars who have produced historic 30-point playoff performances for their respective franchises across the NBA’s long history.
Other notable entries on the youngest 30-point playoff scorers list include Luka Doncic’s 42-point game for Dallas at age 21, and Magic Johnson’s 42-point effort for the Lakers at just 20 years old.
Ja Morant holds the Memphis record with a remarkable 47-point playoff performance at age 21, while Tyler Herro scored 37 for Miami at just 20 years and 247 days old.
On the Philadelphia side, VJ Edgecombe recently claimed that franchise record with a 30-point playoff outing at just 20 years and 265 days of age.
Scoot Henderson set the Portland Trail Blazers’ mark with 31 points at age 22 this postseason, adding his name to the list of young stars making their mark in the playoffs.
