Gilgeous-Alexander scores 32 as Thunder beat Spurs 127-114, take 3-2 Western Finals lead

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and added nine assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, moving one win from the NBA Finals. The victory at Paycom Center gave Oklahoma City a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series after a pivotal game that followed San Antonio’s Game 4 win.

Game 6 is set for Thursday in San Antonio, where the Thunder will try to close out the series and advance to the Finals. The winner of the Western Conference Finals will face the New York Knicks, who have already secured the Eastern Conference title.

Oklahoma City’s depth was central to the response. Alex Caruso delivered 22 points, six assists and three steals off the bench, hitting four 3-pointers in one of the Thunder’s most important reserve performances of the postseason. Rookie guard Jared McCain, taking on a larger role with Jalen Williams out, scored 20 points, with 18 of them coming after halftime. Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds and four assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander also did steady damage at the foul line, going 16 for 17 in 37 minutes. His control of the game helped Oklahoma City answer after a flat showing in Sunday’s 103-82 loss, when San Antonio evened the series at 2-2.

The Thunder’s defensive work mattered, too. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was limited to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting, a sign of how much more organized and physical Oklahoma City looked than it had in Game 4. The Thunder’s supporting cast also swung the game, with Caruso’s bench scoring and McCain’s second-half offense repeatedly pushing back whenever San Antonio threatened to make a run.

After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged that Oklahoma City had been fighting recent sluggish openings, saying, “They just punched us in our face early.” On Tuesday, the Thunder avoided letting the series slip further and instead put themselves in position to end it.

Now the pressure shifts back to San Antonio. Oklahoma City heads into Game 6 needing one more win to return to the NBA Finals, with the Knicks already waiting for the Western Conference champion.