SGA Punishes Wemby, Spurs; Powers OKC Thunder To Take 3-2 Lead In WCF

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 10:32 IST

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points as the Thunder beat the Spurs 127-114 in Game 5, moving Oklahoma City one win away from the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder are now just one win away from returning to the NBA Finals after a commanding 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night.

Led by another brilliant performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the defending champions bounced back emphatically after scoring only 82 points in their Game 4 defeat two days earlier.

This time, Oklahoma City had already reached 82 points barely three-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points despite a sluggish opening quarter, while veteran guard Alex Caruso delivered a huge spark off the bench with 22 points, including four three-pointers.

Rookie Jared McCain impressed in his first playoff start, scoring 20 points with both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell sidelined.

Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein dominated inside with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

“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 admitted afterward.

“I’ve been saying it all year — we’re a group of one through 15, and we wouldn’t be this deep in the season without everybody on the team."

The Thunder recovered from an early eight-point deficit before exploding for a 40-point second quarter that completely swung the game in their favour.

San Antonio never truly recovered.

Victor Wembanyama endured a frustrating night, scoring 20 points but shooting just 4-for-15 from the field while grabbing only six rebounds. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points, while Julian Champagnie added 22.

The Spurs also struggled badly from beyond the arc, missing 29 of their 41 three-point attempts.

After leveling the series at 2-2 on Sunday, San Antonio looked flat and error-prone throughout Game 5, something coach Mitch Johnson openly acknowledged afterward.

“To beat a team of this caliber in their own building with what’s at stake, you need to be a lot better," Johnson said.

He also called on Wembanyama to be far more aggressive in Thursday’s must-win Game 6 in San Antonio.

“He’s got to take more than 15 shots, and he’s gonna have to score more than 20 points for sure," Johnson said.

With momentum firmly back on their side, the Thunder now head into Game 6 with a golden opportunity to close out the series and book another trip to the NBA Finals.

(with agency inputs)

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