The Oklahoma City Thunder moved one win away from a second straight NBA Finals appearance after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a rough opening stretch to finish with 32 points and nine assists, helping Oklahoma City take a 3-2 series lead. After missing his first four shots, SGA regrouped late in the first quarter and powered a dominant 40-point second quarter that shifted momentum permanently in OKC’s favor.
“I might have had the worst start to a basketball game of my career,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But the group held it down.”
The Thunder bench once again proved decisive. Alex Caruso scored 22 points with four three-pointers, while Jared McCain added 20 points in just his third playoff start. The duo combined for 14 of Oklahoma City’s final 18 points to seal the win.
San Antonio stayed competitive behind 24 points from Stephon Castle, 22 from Julian Champagnie, and 20 from Victor Wembanyama, but the Spurs could not overcome OKC’s depth and second-half execution.
The Thunder are now 6-0 this postseason when Gilgeous-Alexander scores 30 or more points. Game 6 shifts back to San Antonio with Oklahoma City just 48 minutes away from another trip to the NBA Finals.
