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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC stormed back from a 15-0 deficit to beat the Spurs 123-108 as the Thunder bench exploded for 76 points.
Jared McCain showed up in unexpected fashion, pouring in 24 poitns of his own from the bench (AP)
Oklahoma City Thunder looked rattled early. Then they looked unstoppable.
After falling into a shocking 15-0 hole to begin Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder responded like the defending NBA champions, roaring back to beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night and seize a 2-1 lead in the series.
And while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led from the front with 26 points and 12 assists, this game belonged to Oklahoma City’s terrifyingly deep bench unit.
The Thunder reserves exploded for a staggering 76 points, continuing what has become the defining story of this series.
They scored 50 bench points in Game 1, 57 in Game 2, and somehow raised the bar yet again in San Antonio.
OKC’S BENCH DROPPED 76 POINTS IN GAME 3!Jared McCain: 24 PTS (postseason career-high)Jaylin Williams: 18 PTS (postseason career-high)Alex Caruso: 15 PTSCason Wallace: 11 PTS
Thunder win Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals 🍿 pic.twitter.com/954MldKnMb
— NBA (@NBA) May 23, 2026
Rookie Jared McCain delivered a playoff career-high 24 points, while Jaylin Williams buried five three-pointers and added 18 points in place of the injured Jalen Williams.
Then there was Alex Caruso, once again doing absolutely everything.
Caruso added 15 points and now has 63 points through the first three games of the series, the best three-game scoring stretch of his NBA career.
Spurs Start Fast, Then Collapse
For a few minutes, though, it looked like the Spurs were about to run OKC out of the building.
San Antonio opened the game on a stunning 15-0 run, the longest scoring burst to start a conference finals game since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1997.
Victor Wembanyama looked aggressive early and finished with 24 points, while Devin Vassell chipped in 20.
De’Aaron Fox also returned from injury to make his series debut after being cleared shortly before tip-off, contributing 15 points.
But after that electric opening stretch, the Spurs simply had no answers.
The Thunder’s depth completely flipped the game, while Wembanyama struggled to impose himself consistently as the night wore on.
The Spurs became just the second team this century to open a playoff game with a 15-0 run or better and still lose — joining the 2017 Washington Wizards.
Now, with OKC just two wins away from the NBA Finals, the pressure has firmly shifted onto San Antonio heading into Game 4 on Sunday.
(with agency inputs)
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