Thunder Beat Spurs 122-113 to Even Western Conference Finals 1-1

The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from their Game 1 loss by beating the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night at Paycom Center, evening the Western Conference finals at 1-1 and preventing San Antonio from taking a 2-0 lead on the road.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 30 points and nine rebounds, including a late jumper that helped seal the win. “The guys brought it tonight, knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to NBA.com live updates. “We brought the energy from the jump.” Victor Wembanyama paced San Antonio with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks as the Spurs again leaned on their front line after winning Game 1, 122-115 in double overtime.

The clearest difference in Game 2 was San Antonio’s ball security. The Spurs committed 21 turnovers, and Oklahoma City converted them into a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers. Spurs guard Stephon Castle finished with 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists, but he also had nine turnovers. Oklahoma City got strong support behind Gilgeous-Alexander, with Alex Caruso scoring 17 points and Isaiah Hartenstein adding 10 points and 13 rebounds. NBA.com reported that seven Thunder players scored in double figures.

Oklahoma City took the lead late in the first quarter and held it for most of the night. San Antonio made a late push, but the Thunder maintained control to secure the split before the series shifts to Texas. The win was an important response for the West’s No. 1 seed against the No. 2-seeded Spurs, with the winner of the series advancing to the NBA Finals.

Both teams also dealt with injuries. Spurs guard Dylan Harper left with a right-leg injury and did not return. Thunder forward Jalen Williams exited with hamstring tightness and was ruled out for the rest of the game. San Antonio was already without guard De’Aaron Fox, who missed Game 2 because of an ankle issue. Game 3 is set for Friday, May 22, in San Antonio, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.