The Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 15-point deficit and a hostile road environment to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night at Frost Bank Center, taking a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
After falling behind 15-0 in the opening minutes, Oklahoma City responded with depth, ball movement and defensive pressure to swing the game. The Thunder outscored San Antonio’s reserves 76-23 and won despite playing without Jalen Williams, who missed Game 3 because of left hamstring soreness.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steadied the top-seeded Thunder with 26 points and 12 assists, repeatedly controlling pace once Oklahoma City settled into the game. The All-Star guard shot 6-for-17 from the field but got to the foul line consistently, converting all 12 free throws while helping the Thunder generate efficient offense against San Antonio’s switching defense.
The Spurs looked in command early behind the return of De’Aaron Fox, who made his series debut after missing time with a sprained right ankle. Fox and rookie guard Dylan Harper were cleared to play shortly before tipoff, and San Antonio responded with a historic start.
Fox opened the scoring with a driving layup before Victor Wembanyama drilled a three-pointer after crossing over Isaiah Hartenstein. Devin Vassell added another triple as the Spurs surged to a 15-0 lead, the longest run to open a conference finals game since play-by-play tracking began in 1997.
That momentum disappeared when Oklahoma City’s bench flipped the game.
With Wembanyama briefly resting, the Thunder ripped off a 13-2 run and closed the first quarter within five points at 31-26. Oklahoma City’s second unit then overwhelmed San Antonio throughout the middle quarters, turning transition opportunities and floor spacing into clean looks from deep.
Jared McCain delivered one of his strongest playoff performances, scoring 24 points on 10-for-21 shooting in 27 minutes. Jaylin Williams added 18 points while knocking down five of six three-pointers, spacing the floor and punishing San Antonio whenever the defense collapsed toward Gilgeous-Alexander.
Alex Caruso added 15 points and posted a game-best plus-28, while Cason Wallace contributed 11 points, four assists and three steals. Oklahoma City finished 17-for-38 from three-point range and shot 48% overall, offsetting a quiet offensive night from starters outside of Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.
San Antonio received 26 points from Wembanyama, who added four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 39 minutes. Vassell scored 20 points and Fox added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in his return, though the Spurs struggled to sustain offensive rhythm after the opening burst.
The contest remained physical after halftime as tensions escalated. Stephon Castle hit the floor on consecutive dunk attempts, and Ajay Mitchell was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul on the second sequence. Mitchell and Vassell also received technical fouls after exchanging words.
Now leading the series 2-1, Oklahoma City enters Sunday’s Game 4 with momentum and a chance to move within one win of the NBA Finals.
