Spurs and Thunder met in Game 5 at Paycom Center and Oklahoma City won 127-114 to lead the Western Conference finals 3-2.
The series tag spurs vs thunder was defined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 32 points and recording nine assists, while Alex Caruso added 22 points off the bench.
Jared McCain contributed 20 points in his first career playoff start, and the Thunder managed the victory despite being without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell.
Shai shot 16 of 17 from the free throw line and played 37 minutes, though he committed six turnovers and also had two steals.
Oklahoma City improved its 3 point accuracy dramatically from the prior game, rising from 18 percent to 44 percent and making eight more threes than in Game 4.
Defensive Matchups Reactions And Series Outlook
The Thunder limited Victor Wembanyama, who finished 4 of 15 from the field, and Isaiah Hartenstein drew praise for his defense on Wembanyama.
Thunder second chance scoring dominated, with Oklahoma City outscoring San Antonio 26-15 on offensive rebounds, the most second chance points the Thunder have had in any playoff game under Mark Daigneault.
San Antonio struggled offensively beyond Wembanyama, as Devin Vassell and DeAaron Fox combined for 15 points on 6 of 26 shooting, while Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points.
Commentators on the NBC panel noted Wembanyama looked tired and less energetic, and he declined to speak to media after the game as he left the arena near midnight.
Several analysts suggested Alex Caruso could be a candidate for series MVP through five games because of his timely shooting, defense and three steals in Game 5.
As reported, winners of Game 5 in a best of seven series tied 2-2 prevail about 82 percent of the time, putting the Thunder in a strong position heading to San Antonio.
