Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points, 9 assists, and went 16-for-17 from the free throw line. Without Jalen Williams in the lineup.
Oklahoma City Thunder beat San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Tuesday night at the Paycom Center to take a 3-2 Western Conference Finals lead. Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio. The Thunder need one win from a potential two games. If the Spurs cannot win at home on Thursday, their season ends.
How OKC did it without Williams
With Williams out, SGA ran the Thunder’s offence from start to finish. His free throw performance, 16 from 17 attempts, reflects how consistently he drew contact and got into the paint. Even on a 7-of-19 night from the field, he generated enough points from the stripe to keep OKC in control. Alex Caruso added 17 points off the bench, giving the Thunder a secondary scorer when they needed one.
For the Spurs, that combination should not have been enough without one of OKC’s two leading players. That it was enough is the problem San Antonio must answer before Thursday.
Wembanyama’s difficult night
Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points on 12-of-12 free throws but struggled from the field: 4 of 15 from the floor, 0 of 5 from three-point range. His physical presence was real, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, but the Spurs needed more from his shooting to compete at a level that genuinely challenged the Thunder. When Wembanyama goes 4-for-15, San Antonio need the rest of their roster to fill the gap. On Tuesday night, that did not happen.
What it means
Thunder lead 3-2. OKC would be in their first NBA Finals since 2012 if they win Game 6 in San Antonio. Their opponent: the New York Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
For the Spurs, Game 6 is everything. They need a full Wembanyama performance and production around him that Tuesday night did not produce. If Williams returns for OKC, the Spurs’ task becomes harder still.
Game 6: Thursday 28 May, Frost Bank Center, San Antonio.
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