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The young and relentless Oklahoma City Thunder continued their postseason surge Thursday night, overcoming an ugly start to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. With the win, Oklahoma City now holds a 2-1 advantage in the series and has wrestled back home-court control.
San Antonio looked poised to protect its home floor early, exploding out of the gates with a stunning 15-0 run that sent the crowd inside Frost Bank Center into a frenzy. The Thunder appeared rattled in the opening minutes as the Spurs’ defensive pressure and transition offense dictated the tempo.
But as they have throughout the postseason, Oklahoma City responded.
Led by MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder slowly chipped away at the deficit before completely taking over the game in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists, orchestrating the offense with patience and precision while consistently breaking down San Antonio’s defense.
The Thunder’s depth proved to be the biggest difference in the game.
Oklahoma City’s bench erupted for 76 points, turning the momentum of the contest and overwhelming the Spurs’ second unit. Rookie guard Jared McCain delivered one of the biggest performances of his young career, pouring in 24 points off the bench with fearless shot-making and energy on both ends of the floor. Jaylin Williams added 18 points and provided key minutes in the frontcourt. Both performances were playoff career highs.
Meanwhile, the Spurs struggled to sustain their early dominance.
Victor Wembanyama once again showed flashes of brilliance, finishing with 26 points while impacting the game defensively, but Oklahoma City’s defensive adjustments limited San Antonio’s rhythm as the game wore on. De’Aaron Fox returned to action and contributed 15 points, though the Spurs offense became increasingly stagnant during Oklahoma City’s second-half surge.
After dropping Game 1, the Thunder have now rattled off back-to-back wins and appear to have regained control of the series heading into a pivotal Game 4 on Sunday night in San Antonio.
For a Thunder team built around youth, speed, and relentless depth, Thursday night was another statement that the moment may not be too big for them after all.
