The Spurs of Stephon Castle set an NBA record… despite themselves

Playoff records in the NBA are not always a source of pride. The Spurs experienced that bitter reality in Game 2 against the Thunder, which ended in a loss. At the heart of the problem: Stephon Castle, San Antonio’s young guard, who found himself on the wrong side of history.

After nine more turnovers in Game 2, Castle now has a staggering total of 20 turnovers over the first two games of the series. According to ESPN Insights, this is the most turnovers by a single player in a two-game span in the NBA Playoffs since the stat has been tracked, going back to 1977. A record nobody would want…

PLAYER PROFILE

Stephon CASTLE

Position(s): Point Guard

Height: 198 cm

Age: 21 years old (11/01/2004)

Nationality:

2025-2026 Stats / NBA

PTS

17.1

#75

REB

5.3

#113

AST

7.3

#12

The Thunder’s defense: a turnover-generating machine

Behind this individual collapse lies a well-oiled collective strategy orchestrated by coach Mark Daigneault. Oklahoma City repeatedly ran defensive blitzes, taking turns sending Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, and Ajay Mitchell at Castle. A tactical adjustment that has clearly changed the face of the series.

The Thunder also exploited the situation on the other end of the floor. Without Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs had to rely heavily on Castle on both ends of the floor. Daigneault took advantage by instructing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to consistently attack the young guard. The result: the two-time MVP scored 24 points on solid efficiency — 10-of-19 from the field with Castle as his primary defender.

Stephon Castle has struggled on both ends to start the WCF.

Castle has 20 turnovers in the last two games, the most by a player in a 2-game span in the playoffs in the tracking era (since 1977).

SGA is 10-19 FG for 24 points with Castle as his primary defender so far in the… pic.twitter.com/JNUAv3X2SK

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 21, 2026

Wembanyama and Johnson must find solutions

Mitch Johnson faces an urgent tactical challenge. If Castle continues to crumble under pressure from the defending champions, the entire team risks going down with him. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs coaching staff absolutely must find ways to protect their sophomore and limit turnovers, or risk watching the series slip away quickly.

San Antonio now finds itself in a precarious position, facing a machine that has found a weakness and has no intention of closing it anytime soon. Fortunately for Wemby‘s teammates, the series shifts to Texas and San Antonio retains home-court advantage.

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