Oklahoma City Thunder moved a step closer to the NBA Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 127-114, on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 32 points as the Thunder capitalized on San Antonio’s costly mistakes and inconsistent shooting to secure the crucial Game 5 victory at Paycom Center.
Despite tying the series at 2-2 with a gritty win on Sunday, the Spurs struggled to find rhythm offensively and failed to sustain momentum throughout the contest.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama endured a difficult outing, finishing with 20 points on just 4-of-15 shooting while collecting six rebounds. Devin Vassell also struggled, scoring only six points after averaging 17 points in the first four games of the series.
The Thunder showcased balanced scoring, with Alex Caruso adding 22 points off the bench, including four three-pointers, while Jared McCain chipped in 20 points. Chet Holmgren posted 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Oklahoma City overcame a slow opening quarter, where San Antonio briefly held an eight-point advantage, before regrouping and taking control of the game.
“I might have had the worst start to a basketball game in my career, but the group held it down and kept us in the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win.
The Thunder now head to San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday with an opportunity to clinch the series and book a return trip to the NBA Finals.
