[OKC leads series 3-2 | Game 6: Thursday, May 28 in San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. ET]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 pts, 9 ast) made his case the hard way Tuesday night – sixteen free throw attempts, only one missed. OKC won 127-112 to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio, where Victor Wembanyama has to keep the Spurs alive.
SGA takes over at the line
Shooting 7-of-19 from the field, SGA wasn’t at his sharpest from deep. He didn’t need to be. The Canadian guard went 16-of-17 from the foul line, turning every San Antonio foul into a two-point swing. Nine assists, 32 points, a series that swung back Oklahoma City’s way after two straight losses. This is what a genuine MVP candidate looks like when the margin matters.
A 40-point bench that won the game
The individual numbers matter, but so does this: Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 40-17. Alex Caruso (22 pts) led a reserve unit the Spurs had no answer for. Jared McCain, inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in the series, came alive in the second half with 18 points to put the game away. OKC isn’t a one-man team – Game 5 was the clearest proof yet.
Wembanyama and what’s next
Victor Wembanyama couldn’t match his Game 4 brilliance (33 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) and San Antonio’s offense never found a rhythm. Wembanyama is averaging 30.3 points and 13.3 rebounds through five games in this series. Numbers that put him in rare company for a 22-year-old in the playoffs. Game 5, though, belonged to OKC from wire to wire.
The Spurs must win Game 6 in San Antonio to force a decisive Game 7. They’ve made comebacks before in this run – they erased a 2-1 deficit to even it at 2-2. One more swing is on the table Thursday.
Bottom line
- SGA (32 pts, 9 ast, 16/17 FT) was the engine, but Caruso (22) and McCain (18) off the bench decided it.
- The Spurs must win Game 6 in San Antonio to force a decisive Game 7.
- Game 6 tips off Thursday, May 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Sources: ClutchPoints – 740 The FAN
