The Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one win of returning to the championship stage following a 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. The win breaks a postseason deadlock, giving the Thunder a 3-2 edge in the Western Conference finals.
OKC bounced back in a big way after being held to just 82 points in their Game 4 loss. This time around, they matched that entire scoring output before the midpoint of the third quarter. Dealing with a depleted backcourt due to injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City relied heavily on its depth. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anchored the offense, pouring in a game-high 32 points alongside 9 assists. Alex Caruso sparked the second unit with a crucial 22-point performance. Jared McCain stepped up exceptionally well in his first-ever playoff start, chipping in 20 points. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein dominated the interior, both recording double-doubles. Holmgren grabbed 11 rebounds to go with 16 points, while Hartenstein cleaned up the glass with 15 boards and 12 points.
San Antonio struggled to find their rhythm from deep, missing 29 of their 41 long-range attempts. Rookie Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points, Julian Champagnie added 22, and Victor Wembanyama contributed 20 points but was disrupted by OKC’s defense, shooting just 4-of-15 from the floor. The Spurs managed to slice a 20-point deficit down to eight late in the third quarter, but momentum stalled amid several contentious, unreviewable whistles that left San Antonio frustrated.
Looking ahead, the series now shifts back to Texas for Game 6 on Thursday. If San Antonio can defend their home floor and force a deciding Game 7, the final showdown will take place in Oklahoma City on Saturday. The ultimate victor of this matchup will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals starting June 3.
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