The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t need Jalen Williams on Friday night. Their bench was more than enough.
OKC’s reserves combined for 76 points – a franchise playoff record – in a 123-108 Game 3 win over the San Antonio Spurs, giving the defending champions a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26 pts, 12 ast) set the tone without dominating the ball, and the depth did the rest. Williams (left hamstring) watched from the bench.
A 15-0 hole – and a rapid answer
San Antonio opened Game 3 with a 15-0 run – the longest scoring burst to open a conference finals game since play-by-play tracking began in 1997. De’Aaron Fox made his series debut after clearing a sprained right ankle and chipped in 15 points. Dylan Harper (right adductor) pushed through pain. Victor Wembanyama attacked in the paint. By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs led 31-26.
Then Wembanyama went to the bench. Oklahoma City scored 13 straight. The lead vanished.
76 points off the bench
Jared McCain led OKC’s reserves with 24 points – his best game of these playoffs. Jaylin Williams added 18, Alex Caruso 15 and Cason Wallace 11. Four bench players, 68 points between them. The Spurs’ entire bench scored 23.
That 53-point differential in reserve production wasn’t a fluke. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 12 assists – his highest of the playoffs – reflecting a night when he operated as facilitator-in-chief rather than primary scorer. He trusted his teammates. They delivered every time a Spurs rotation opened a gap.
Wembanyama and the Spurs’ hard ceiling
Wembanyama (24 pts) was dangerous in bursts, particularly during San Antonio’s early run. Devin Vassell added 20 and Fox contributed in his debut. Five reliable scorers in the starting unit. That’s not the problem. The problem is the 53-point swing every time those five go to the bench.
Oklahoma City punished every Spurs substitution. When San Antonio’s starters returned, the hole was already too wide to recover from.
Bottom line
OKC wins without Williams: a franchise-record 76 bench points showed depth the Spurs have no answer for right now. San Antonio’s bench gap is real: Vassell and Fox alone can’t compensate for a 53-point differential. Series: Thunder lead 2-1. Game 4 is set for Tuesday in San Antonio.
Sources: NBA.com Game Recap | ESPN
