Winning Game 4 against the Thunder was the San Antonio Spurs‘ only goal tonight. They played as if it were a Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and Mitch Johnson even coached like it. The understudy of Greg Popovich hammered down the importance of principles. Carter Bryant, the Spurs slipped up just a little bit, and Johnson tore into him. He screamed right at the 20-year-old, even tugging his jersey before giving a butt slap to keep going. During the following timeout, Bryant was fighting back his emotions, maybe even forcing the tears to stay in.

That’s where Victor Wembanyama, a 22-year-old in his first playoffs, came over and consoled the first-year defensive guard. It was a gesture that suggested mistakes happen, even in pivotal moments. Wemby’s been playing the leader all postseason, regularly comforting teammates in bad moments. Carter Bryant was having his worst, having picked up three fouls and turned the ball over in the third quarter. He needed some reassurance. And he got that from the one person who is expected to be flawless and carries the most responsibilities for the Spurs.

That sends an encouraging message across the team. When the cornerstone implores his teammates to be themselves despite making mistakes, it allows the team to be fearless. That’s exactly what you see with the Spurs. They play for each other, with a desire to win and keep learning. A lot of that starts with how humble Wembanyama is.

“He’s the first one in the gym all the time. Just the discipline he has every day is the best thing about him. And then he’s the most humble guy in the gym. I mean, he’s the most humble guy, whether that’s on the court or off the court. He will greet everyone and make sure we all feel like one big family. So he’s just doing a great job being a leader and buckling down on what he knows, and that’s how to win,” Dylan Harper said about Victor Wembanyama late in the regular season.

One thing about Wembanyama is that he will stand up for his teammates. On Bryant’s difficult day, the Spurs cornerstone had his back. The unanimous DPOY produced a performance for the ages to level the series at 2-2 against OKC.

Victor Wembanyama does everything in Game 4

We don’t know what Victor Wembanyama was feeling like in Game 4. The French phenom was at work from the very beginning, hitting a three-pointer to get his night started. But that was the most normal bucket he may have scored the entire night. Wemby was running around, picking up misses and turning them into dunks from wild angles. And the dagger came at the halftime interval. He drilled a half-court buzzer beater to extend the Spurs’ lead to 12.

There wasn’t a bone in Wembanyama’s body that would have accepted a loss today. He was by far the only Spurs player to really carve through the Thunder’s imperious defense. He finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and five assists on the offensive end. But even on his worst days, Wembanyama is a terrific defender. Game 4 showed more glimpses of how high the Spurs talisman can rise.

His three blocks and 2 steals don’t tell the entire story. After Game 3, Victor Wembanyama questioned his ability to make teammates around him better. He demanded more out of himself. And today, that came through his defensive work rate. Wemby wasn’t just camping in the paint but creating pressure that allowed the Spurs’ skilled defense to capitalize on windows. On one possession, Stephon Castle rushed Isaiah Hartenstein’s blindside to get a steal, all while he was busy dealing with Wembanyama at the top of the key.

Such moments gave San Antonio’s offense some life outside of Victor Wembanyama. They generated 27 points off 17 OKC turnovers. They only scored 103, with nobody except Wemby scoring over 15. That’s where their defensive engagement changed the game, allowing just 82 points from an offense that hadn’t scored under 100 in the 11 playoff games before Game 4.

After this, the series is blown wide open once again. Both sides exchanged hits, taking a game at each other’s home court. Now it’s down to the final three games to decide who goes to the NBA Finals. Do you think Wembanyama can lead the Spurs back there for the first time since 2014? Let us know your views in the comments below.