The reigning NBA champions had four bench members finish in double digits, setting the stage for a valuable road win.
Published May 23, 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame an early onslaught to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 and take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Western Conference Finals series.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander led another dominant offensive performance by the reigning NBA champions on Friday, with four members of the bench scoring in double figures, setting the stage for a valuable road win.
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Jared McCain led the Thunder bench scorers with 24 points, and Jaylin Williams contributed 18 points with five 3-pointers.
Frenchman Victor Wembaneyama led San Antonio in scoring with 26 points, and Devin Vassell added 20 points.
Thunder manager Mark Daigneault praised his team’s “composition” in rallying from an early 15-point deficit to ultimately take a convincing victory by the same score.
“That was a punch. Credit to them,” Daigneault said of San Antonio’s fast start. “They were ready to play and got us in early, but I think we showed great composure to understand the nature of the game for 48 minutes.
“Obviously it’s a long game, but the bench gave us a lot of strength there to get the game into a manageable position. Great composure from the team.”
Another clash between Western Conference rivals got off to a slow start, with the Spurs taking a 15-0 lead within minutes of tipoff.
The shocked Thunder lineup quickly recovered and fought back to close the gap to 31-29 early in the second quarter, with some great 3-pointers from Gilgeous and Alexander giving the visitors the lead.
Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 32-20 in the second quarter thanks to 10 points each from Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso, cutting the lead to 58-51 at halftime.
The intensity that had smoldered through the first two games of the series boiled over early in the third quarter, with Mitchell shoving Stephon Castle as the Spurs guard darted to the basket.
Castle slipped off the court while teammate Devin Vassell got into a shoving match with Mitchell, sparking a scuffle.
By this stage, Oklahoma City had built a 10-point lead, 67-57, and kept the pressure on, taking a 95-84 lead into the fourth quarter.
The points continued to flow in the fourth, and the Thunder maintained a comfortable advantage for the win.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game, “We were really sharp to start the game, but obviously we couldn’t sustain it.”
“Our start wasn’t sustainable, but I thought we played very fast. It petered out as the game went on. We’ve got to find a way to make it happen.”
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday in San Antonio.
