Oklahoma City came to San Antonio and did what road teams are not supposed to do: took over when the Spurs needed a home performance most. The Thunder won Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals 123-108, and the story of the night was written entirely by the second unit.
OKC’s reserves outscored San Antonio’s bench 76-23. It is the franchise’s highest bench total in a playoff game since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. Jared McCain led the charge with 24 points. Jaylin Williams added 18. Alex Caruso contributed 15.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not need to force it. He finished with 26 points and 12 assists, going 12-for-12 from the free throw line. When OKC needed their superstar to be efficient rather than spectacular, he delivered exactly that.
The 15-0 opening that was overturned by half-time
San Antonio made the perfect start. De’Aaron Fox was playing his first game of this series, returning from the injury that kept him out of Games 1 and 2. Within three minutes he had knocked down a shot, Victor Wembanyama had hit a deep three, and the Spurs were out of the blocks on a 15-0 run. The crowd at Frost Bank Center saw exactly what they had come to see.
Oklahoma City absorbed it and reversed it. By half-time they led, and they did not surrender that lead for the rest of the game.
Wembanyama put together a strong individual night: 24 points, some of his usual otherworldly shot-making. Devin Vassell added 20. Fox contributed 15 in his returning role. But those numbers tell a story of a team that scored enough to win most games and still lost by 15.
The Spurs bench managed 23 points in total across the entire game, against the Thunder reserves’ 76. When OKC’s starting unit was on the court, the game was competitive. When the bench came on, the margin opened and did not close.
Where the series stands
Thunder lead the Western Conference Finals 2-1 in a best-of-7 series. Game 4 returns to San Antonio. For the Spurs, it is effectively a must-win: fall to 1-3 and the arithmetic of their situation becomes brutal.
OKC have now won two games in this series without Fox in the lineup and one game with him. That pattern will not concern Spurs fans as much as the bench scoring differential, which is systemic rather than a one-off.
The counter-argument for San Antonio: they had home court for Game 3 and were immediately competitive. Fox returning changes their offensive options. At Wembanyama’s level, any given game is winnable.
But the Thunder have now shown they can win in San Antonio. That matters for Games 4 and, if necessary, 6.
Next fixtures
Game 4: Thunder at Spurs, San Antonio, May 24.
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