Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a stellar 32-point performance to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, putting them just one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals.
The Thunder took full advantage of a careless, turnover-prone display by San Antonio at the Paycom Center to claim a pivotal 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. The Spurs had previously leveled the series after a hard-fought Game 4 win on Sunday but failed to sustain that momentum in Game 5.
San Antonio’s offensive rhythm faltered as star center Victor Wembanyama endured a rough shooting night, registering 20 points on a dismal 4-of-15 from the field alongside six rebounds.
Forward Devin Vassell was similarly locked down by the Thunder defense, managing just six points on 2-of-11 shooting—well below his 17-point average through the first four games of the series.
Oklahoma City showcased its depth with five players finishing in double figures. Reserve guard Alex Caruso ignited the bench with 22 points, including four shots from beyond the arc, while Jared McCain chipped in 20 points. Inside the paint, Chet Holmgren anchored the team with 16 points and 11 rebounds, complemented by Isaiah Hartenstein’s double-double of 12 points and 15 boards.
The Thunder overcame a slow start where they trailed by as many as eight points early in the match, a turnaround praised by their superstar leader.
“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. “Somehow we still won the first quarter but that’s a testament to the guys in the locker room.”
The two-time league MVP emphasized that the roster’s collective effort has been the driving force behind their postseason success.
“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, and it showed again tonight,” he added.
“We made adjustments after the last game and applied what we learned. Against a really good team you’ve just got to try to be better each and every game, and we definitely got better from the last game.”
With two opportunities left to seal the series, Oklahoma City travels to San Antonio on Thursday for Game 6, aiming to book their ticket to the championship round.