TITLE: Thunder push Spurs to brink with 127-114 Game 5 win in Oklahoma City
SLUG: thunder-take-3-2-west-finals-lead-over-spurs
CONTENT:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 32 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder relied on a deep supporting cast to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Tuesday night, seizing a 3-2 edge in the Western Conference finals.
The victory at Paycom Center leaves the defending NBA champions one win from a second straight NBA Finals appearance.
Balanced scoring carries Oklahoma City
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 16-for-17 at the free-throw line, setting a personal postseason high for attempts. Reserve guard Alex Caruso added 22 points, while rookie Jared McCain—starting because Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were unavailable—contributed 20 in his playoff starting debut.
Chet Holmgren finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Isaiah Hartenstein recorded 12 points and 15 boards while holding Victor Wembanyama to 4-of-15 shooting (27%).
Second-quarter surge
The Thunder erupted for 40 points in the second period and had 82 points less than four minutes into the third, a sharp contrast to their 82-point total in Sunday’s Game 4 defeat. The teams combined for 29 made free throws in the second quarter, the most in that frame of any NBA game since the 2020 bubble postseason.
Spurs’ offensive struggles
Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 24 points. Julian Champagnie chipped in 22, Wembanyama scored 20, and Keldon Johnson supplied 15 off the bench. The Spurs missed 29 of 41 three-point attempts.
San Antonio trimmed a 20-point third-quarter deficit to eight, but two disputed calls in the final minute of the period—an apparent goaltend by Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace and an out-of-bounds ruling—went unreviewed, drawing a technical on coach Mitch Johnson. The Thunder entered the fourth leading 101-91 and maintained a double-digit cushion for all but 25 seconds the rest of the way.
What’s next
Game 6 is set for Thursday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. If necessary, Game 7 returns to Oklahoma City on Saturday. The winner will face the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, with the series opening in the Western Conference city.
Source: ESPN
