Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points send OKC within one win of Finals
Gilgeous-Alexander's 32 points send OKC within one win of Finals
Oklahoma City took a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals on May 26, 2026, defeating San Antonio 127-114 at Paycom Center to move one victory away from a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning two-time league MVP, led all scorers with 32 points and nine assists as the Thunder pulled clear in the second half.
Victor Wembanyama, whose 41- and 33-point outings had powered San Antonio’s two wins in the series, was held to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting, missing all five of his three-point attempts. The Spurs’ leading scorer delivered a visible address to his teammates during a timeout early in the third quarter after Oklahoma City built an 18-point advantage, and San Antonio did close within eight before the period ended, but the Thunder ultimately maintained control. Stephon Castle topped the Spurs’ scoring with 24 points and five rebounds.
The result underscored a pattern that had defined the series: San Antonio won the games in which Wembanyama was clearly the dominant player on the floor and lost the ones in which he was not. His two victories gave the Spurs moments of genuine competition against a Thunder side that finished the regular season as one of the Western Conference’s premier teams, but Oklahoma City’s depth and Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency have proven difficult to sustain pressure against across five games.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson, asked before tip-off about New York Knicks supporters chanting for Wembanyama following the Knicks’ own conference finals victory, deflected the question and said his focus remained entirely on the series at hand. Game 6 is scheduled to return to San Antonio, where the Spurs must win to force a decisive seventh game and avoid elimination.
