Star Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) 36m 26p 2r 12a 1b
Boxscore
Summary
SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) β Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and added 12 assists to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Frost Bank Center. The Thunder seized a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference playoff series before 19,034 fans. Oklahoma City trailed after the first quarter 31-26, then outscored the Spurs 32-20 in the second to take a 58-51 halftime lead. The Thunder extended the margin in the third quarter 37-33 and held San Antonio to 24 points in the fourth. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists. Devin Vassell added 20 points and seven rebounds. Stephon Castle contributed 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. DeβAaron Fox finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. For Oklahoma City, Jared McCain scored 24 points off the bench, Jaylin Williams added 18 points, Chet Holmgren had 14 points and Alex Caruso scored 15 points. Cason Wallace chipped in 11 points. The Thunder improved to 74-19, while the Spurs fell to 71-26. Game 4 is Sunday in San Antonio.
Extended Summary
SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) β Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and doled out 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night, seizing a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference playoff series. Jared McCain added 24 points off the bench and Jaylin Williams contributed 18 points for the Thunder, who played without forward Jalen Williams because of left hamstring soreness. Oklahoma Cityβs reserves overwhelmed San Antonioβs bench 76-23, a decisive advantage that included 15 points from Alex Caruso. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists, but the 7-foot-4 forward could not prevent San Antonio from squandering an early lead in front of 19,034 at Frost Bank Center. Devin Vassell scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Stephon Castle had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists. DeβAaron Fox added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Spurs. The game began with a flurry of San Antonio activity. After Chet Holmgren won the opening tip, Castle collected the loose ball, and Fox opened the scoring with a 2-foot layup 21 seconds in. Wembanyama buried a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer, and Vassell knocked down a running pullup jumper to push the Spurs ahead 10-0, forcing an Oklahoma City timeout just 1:50 into the contest. The Spurs kept their foot on the accelerator. Fox scored again off a Wembanyama assist, and Vassell drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to stretch the lead to 15-5. Wembanyama blocked a floating jump shot from Isaiah Hartenstein, and Oklahoma City appeared rattled, committing a shot-clock turnover. But the Thunderβs bench began to turn the tide. After a substitution spree that brought in Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Jared McCain, Wallace drained a 26-foot 3-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexanderβs feed. Caruso followed with a triple of his own, cutting the deficit to 19-15 and prompting San Antonio to call a timeout. The momentum shifted further when Jaylin Williams sank consecutive 26-foot 3-pointers, the second off a Gilgeous-Alexander assist, to pull Oklahoma City within 21-21. McCain scored on a running layup, and though Wembanyama answered with a 26-foot 3-pointer to close the first quarter, the Thunder had carved the lead to 31-26. Oklahoma City seized control in the second quarter. Holmgren opened with a 29-foot 3-pointer, and Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 27-foot step-back triple to put the Thunder ahead for the first time at 34-31. Jaylin Williams then connected from deep again, capping a 14-0 run that gave Oklahoma City a 37-31 edge. San Antonio briefly answered. Carter Bryant hit a 23-foot 3-pointer, and Fox added a driving floater. But the Thunder kept firing. Cason Wallace finished a reverse layup, Holmgren threw down an alley-oop dunk, and Gilgeous-Alexander converted a fadeaway jumper to make it 45-39. The Spurs clawed back within 51-45 after a pair of Vassell free throws and a Castle 3-pointer, but Oklahoma City responded with a 6-0 spurt. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a step-back jumper, and Jaylin Williams drilled another 3-pointer, this one off a Caruso assist, to send the Thunder into halftime leading 58-51. Oklahoma City shot 52.8 percent from the floor in the first half and 40 percent from 3-point range, while San Antonio managed 40.8 percent shooting. The Thunderβs bench had already produced 28 points against San Antonioβs 13. The third quarter became a battle of attrition. Oklahoma City quickly extended its lead to 10 points when Hartenstein threw down a dunk and Caruso nailed a 23-foot 3-pointer. The Spurs hung around behind Castleβs free throws and a Vassell driving layup, but every San Antonio push was met with a Thunder answer. Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a driving floater, and after a flurry of technical fouls and a flagrant foul on Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder maintained a 73-68 advantage. McCain drove for a layup, and Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down a 24-foot 3-pointer to push the lead back to 10. Wembanyama converted a fadeaway jumper and added a free throw, but McCain scored inside, and Gilgeous-Alexander sank free throws to keep the margin at 90-84 entering the fourth quarter. The Thunder put the game away in the final period. Holmgren opened the fourth with a fadeaway jumper, and McCain drilled a 23-foot 3-pointer to make it 95-85. After a San Antonio timeout, Fox answered with a 13-foot jumper, but McCain answered with a driving floater. Julian Champagnie hit a 23-foot 3-pointer for the Spurs, but Oklahoma Cityβs defense stiffened. Wallace stole a Fox pass, and Gilgeous-Alexander made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. The lead swelled to 103-92 after Jaylin Williams buried a 25-foot 3-pointer off a McCain assist. A late San Antonio run, sparked by Wembanyamaβs reverse layup and a Champagnie driving layup, cut the deficit to 103-101 with 3:50 left, prompting a Thunder timeout. Oklahoma City responded with poise. Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, and Wallace drilled a 24-foot 3-pointer to restore a 108-103 lead. The Spurs could not get closer than five points the rest of the way. McCain added two free throws with 1:51 left, and Kenrich Williams scored on a tip-in and later hit a 26-foot 3-pointer to seal the victory. Kelly Olynyk hit a 23-foot 3-pointer in the final seconds to account for the 123-108 final. Oklahoma City shot 50.6 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from 3-point range, while San Antonio shot 44.2 percent overall and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Thunder held a 42-35 rebounding advantage. Gilgeous-Alexander added two rebounds and a block in 36 minutes, continuing his strong playoff run after posting 30 points and nine assists in Game 2 and 24 points and 12 assists in Game 1. Jaylin Williams contributed five rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes off the bench. Holmgren finished with 14 points and three rebounds, while Wallace chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. For San Antonio, Castle collected two blocks, and Fox dished six assists. Wembanyama added two blocks, and Vassell recorded two steals. The Thunder improved to 74-19, while the Spurs fell to 71-26. Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Sunday at Frost Bank Center. Interstatβs game simulator had projected a final score of San Antonio 121, Oklahoma City 108, and its ELO system gave the Spurs a 64.70 percent probability to win. San Antonio was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1. The total score of 231 went under the over/under line of 215.5.
Preview
SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) β The Western Conference semifinal series between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder shifts to the Alamo City tied at one game apiece. Game 3 is set for 7:30 p.m. CDT Friday at Frost Bank Center, with the top-seeded Thunder (72-19) looking to regain home-court advantage against the second-seeded Spurs (71-24). San Antonio seized control in Game 2 with a 122-115 double-overtime victory Monday in Oklahoma City. Center Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic performance, logging 41 points and 24 rebounds in 49 minutes, adding three assists and three blocks. The 7-foot-4 All-Star has terrorized opponents throughout the postseason, averaging 30.1 points and 13.2 rebounds through eight playoff games. Wembanyamaβs dominance extends beyond scoring. He recorded 12 blocks against Minnesota on May 4 and has posted five games with at least 15 rebounds in the playoffs. Oklahoma City counters with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who posted 24 points, 12 assists and three rebounds in the Game 2 loss despite playing 51 minutes. The league MVP candidate has averaged 27.8 points and 7.1 assists through seven playoff games, including a 42-point outburst against Phoenix on April 25. He scored 35 points in a series-clinching win over the Lakers on May 11. The Thunder have won five of their past six games, though the Spurs have taken two of three meetings this season. San Antonio holds a 5-2 edge in the head-to-head series dating to December 2025, including a 130-110 home victory on Dec. 23 and a 116-106 win on Feb. 4. Both teams feature deep supporting casts. For Oklahoma City, guard Alex Caruso scored 31 points in Game 2, while Jalen Williams added 26 points and seven rebounds. San Antonio guard Dylan Harper contributed 24 points and 11 rebounds in the Game 2 win, and Stephon Castle recorded 17 points and 11 assists. The Interstatβs game simulator projects a 121-108 Spurs victory. Game 4 is Sunday in San Antonio, with the series continuing through a potential Game 7 on May 30.

