Thunder-Spurs Game 4 Sunday 8 p.m. ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs return to the Western Conference finals on Sunday night with Oklahoma City holding a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will air on NBC, according to the NBA’s playoff schedule and Sporting News. Oklahoma City moved ahead in the series with a 123-108 win in Game 3 on Friday, May 22, in San Antonio. The result put the top-seeded Thunder two wins from another NBA Finals berth, while the Spurs enter Sunday trying to avoid a 3-1 deficit. ### Why does Game 4 matter so much for this series? The 2-1 score gives Sunday’s game immediate stakes for both teams. A Thunder victory would push Oklahoma City to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, while a Spurs win would send the matchup back to Oklahoma City tied 2-2. Basketball-Reference lists Oklahoma City ahead 2-1 entering Game 4. CBS Sports also described the Thunder as two wins away from the NBA Finals after Friday’s result. (nba.com) May 24 is also one of only two conference finals games on the NBA calendar, with the Eastern Conference finals continuing separately. NBC Sports’ playoff schedule says the NBA Finals are set to begin on June 3, adding a fixed deadline as the conference finals continue. ### What happened in Game 3 to put Oklahoma City ahead? (basketball-reference.com) Friday, May 22, turned the series back toward Oklahoma City when the Thunder beat San Antonio 123-108 on the road. Sporting News said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points in 36 minutes, while Victor Wembanyama also finished with 26 points for San Antonio. (nbcsports.com) The Thunder’s bench supplied the biggest number from the game. Sporting News said Oklahoma City got a franchise-high 76 bench points in Game 3, and NBA.com’s West finals page highlighted the same game with a post describing how the Thunder bench picked up Gilgeous-Alexander in the win. (sportingnews.com) ### Where can viewers watch Sunday’s game? Sunday’s Game 4 will be shown on NBC. Sporting News’ series schedule lists NBC as the television carrier for the matchup and says live streaming is available through Peacock and DIRECTV. Yahoo Sports also published a Game 4 viewing guide on Sunday with the same focus on channel and start time. (sportingnews.com) The NBA’s official playoff schedule lists Game 4 for Sunday, May 24, as part of the conference finals slate. The league said that page would be updated as postseason scheduling is officially announced. ### What is the broader playoff picture around this matchup? Oklahoma City entered the playoffs as the West’s top seed, and NBC Sports said the Thunder would have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals against any opponent because they finished with the league’s best overall record. (sportingnews.com) That makes every remaining conference finals game part of the path to a possible return to the Finals. (nba.com) San Antonio, meanwhile, is trying to extend its postseason run after advancing through the Western bracket to reach the conference finals. Bleacher Report’s playoff roundup said the Spurs reached this round after eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves in the semifinals. (nbcsports.com) ### What comes next after Sunday night? Game 4 is set for Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The NBA’s official playoff schedule and series listings indicate the conference finals will continue after that result, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio still playing for the West title and a place in the NBA Finals beginning June 3. (nba.com) (bleacherreport.com)