Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder once again dominated with their bench, overcoming a sluggish start to beat the host San Antonio Spurs 123-108 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Friday.
The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 going into Game 4 in San Antonio on Sunday.
Oklahoma City set a franchise postseason record with 76 bench points. The Spurs’ bench scored 23 points.
In the first three games of the series, the Thunder’s bench has outscored San Antonio’s 183-64.
Oklahoma City’s Jared McCain scored 24 points and fellow reserve Jaylin Williams added 18, hitting five 3-pointers.
Gilgeous-Alexander handed out 12 assists.
The Thunder held San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama in check, especially on the boards. Wembanyama put up 26 points but grabbed only four rebounds after he had 41 combined rebounds in the first two games.
San Antonio’s Devin Vassell scored 20 points, and De’Aaron Fox had 15 points. Stephon Castle contributed 14 points and seven assists.
Playing their first conference finals home game since 2017, and with Fox back in the starting lineup after he missed the first two games of the series, the Spurs got off to a blazing start.
San Antonio hit five of its first six shots and Oklahoma City missed its first six with three turnovers over nearly four minutes to start the game as the Spurs jumped out to a 15-0 lead.
However, the Thunder quickly bounced back, trimming the deficit to three in the final two minutes of the quarter.
Oklahoma City made its early push despite Gilgeous-Alexander not registering any points in the opening period.
The Thunder led by as much as 13 in the third quarter, but midway through the fourth, the Spurs pulled to within nine.
Oklahoma City then once again flexed its depth.
McCain hit a pullup jumper to stem the tide, and then after Alex Caruso (15 points) grabbed a rebound on the other end, Williams converted a four-point play after being fouled by Luke Cornet on a 3-pointer.
The game had a contentious moment about four minutes into the third quarter, Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell fouled Castle on a fastbreak chance. Vassell got in Mitchell’s face, and Spurs security stepped in to get Castle away from the scrum.
After a review, Mitchell’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul and Vassell and Mitchell were each assessed technical fouls.
Mitchell, who moved back into the starting lineup with Jalen Williams missing the game after aggravating a hamstring injury in Game 2, left the court following the altercation and did not return.
–Field Level Media
