Thunder recover from a slow start to win against Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — Thunder Take Commanding Win Over Spurs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shone with 26 points and 12 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 15-point deficit in the early minutes to secure a 123-108 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, taking a 2-1 series lead.

Jared McCain contributed 24 points, while Jaylin Williams added 18. The Thunder missed Jaylen Williams, sidelined due to a sore left hamstring.

Oklahoma City showcased impressive bench depth, outscoring San Antonio’s bench 76-23, including a notable 15 points from Alex Caruso.

“We just went out there and competed,” Gilgeous-Alexander reflected. “They got on us quickly, of course. It was their home opener, and the crowd was really behind them. Still, we focused on competing from then on. We may not have given it our all at the start, but that’s in the past now. We just had to focus on each possession moving forward, and we did that.”

On the Spurs’ side, Victor Wembanyama tallied 24 points, with Devin Vassell adding 20 points in his series debut and De’Aaron Fox contributing 15.

Following the Spurs’ win in Game 1 that went into double overtime, the Thunder have now claimed two consecutive victories. Game 4 is set for Sunday.

Fox (dealing with a right ankle sprain) and Dylan Harper (right adductor soreness) were both cleared to play just 45 minutes before the game began.

The Spurs kicked off strong, leading 15-0, which marked the longest streak to start a game in conference finals history since 1997.

Fox initiated the run with a layup, followed by a 3-pointer from Wembanyama. Vassell’s 3-pointer pushed the Spurs ahead 10-0 before Thunder coach Mark Daigneault called an early timeout.

“Besides that initial 15 points, our defense tightened up,” Daigneault mentioned. “We found our rhythm in the half court. Our offense really clicked tonight, and even though the Spurs were hyped up, we executed well. This series demands discipline; we can’t afford to be reckless. They are too skilled, too well-coached. I think we did a great job being disciplined tonight.”

After a long drought for the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein broke through with a shot over Wembanyama, who had faced booing from the crowd due to his physical play in Game 2.

Once Wembanyama took a seat, the Thunder seized the momentum, finishing the first quarter with a 13-2 run to lead 31-26.

This shift in dynamic was a challenge the Spurs struggled to recover from.

“It’s my first playoff experience,” Wembanyama noted. “For many of us, this is new territory, so yeah, it’s tough. But we’ll see what we’re made of now.”

As the series progressed, tempers flared early in the second half. Stephon Castle made a couple of aggressive attempts at dunks, one of which led to a flagrant foul against Ajay Mitchell and resulted in technicals for Mitchell and Vassell after some heated exchanges.