The Oklahoma City Thunder took management in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs in a 127-114 win in Tuesday’s Recreation 5, holding Victor Wembanyama in examine in a pivotal sequence win.
Listed here are the winners and losers from Recreation 5 of the Western Convention Finals.
Winners
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
The back-to-back NBA MVP didn’t have his most effective capturing evening, however he nonetheless had a team-high 32 factors (7-of-19 FG, 16-of-17 FT), his second recreation of the sequence with at the very least 30 factors.
He was outplayed by the Spurs star in a Game 1 thriller, however he has responded with a vengeance ever since.
With Jalen Williams hampered by a left hamstring pressure and Ajay Mitchell out with a proper calf harm, it was paramount that Gilgeous-Alexander put his workforce on his again and delivered one other MVP-level efficiency in a pivotal Recreation 5.
That’s precisely what the Thunder received to retake management of the sequence.
Thunder function gamers
For the second time within the final three video games, Jared McCain was key to Oklahoma Metropolis’s success following a 24-point outing in Recreation 3. He had 20 factors (7-of-19 FG) and hit three of the 14 triples within the recreation, together with this one to increase the result in 15 with 3:42 to play.
Moreover, Isaiah Hartenstein shut Wembanyama down with 12 factors and 15 rebounds, logging the second-best plus/minus of anybody on the workforce (+24). Alex Caruso, in the meantime, continued his run with 22 factors (4-of-8 3PT), contributing to a 40-point outing from the Thunder bench.
This workforce goes the place Gilgeous-Alexander can take them, however as they proceed to show, their depth is simply as necessary, and it confirmed once more on Tuesday.
Thunder’s scoring runs
The Spurs did their greatest to maintain the sport shut for a lot of the evening, however a pair of scoring runs from the Thunder halted any momentum that they had established.
This three from Jaylin Williams capped a 15-3 run and put the Thunder up 9 early within the second quarter.
The Spurs went on a 9-0 run to reply, however the Thunder wished no a part of that with a 20-8 run of their very own following this bodily assault to the basket from Chet Holmgren.
In a recreation as essential as this one, these runs proved to be much more necessary because the Thunder answered the whole lot the Spurs threw at them and put them on the ropes heading to Recreation 6.
Losers
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Wembanyama proved in Recreation 1 how a lot of a drive he will be with 41 factors and 24 rebounds, however he nonetheless has issues he must work on if the Spurs are going to maintain this sequence going.
He nonetheless had 20 factors (4-of-15 FG), however he struggled from the ground and solely had six rebounds. Even in opposition to a banged-up Thunder squad, that isn’t going to be sufficient for the Spurs to take management and have a shot.
Spurs’ perimeter protection
For a Spurs workforce that shot simply 12-of-41 (29%) from deep, it wanted assist from its protection if it was going to beat that. The Thunder shot 14-of-32 (44%) and had a number of attractiveness from behind the arc all through the sport.
This was additionally the third time in as many wins for the Thunder on this sequence wherein they scored at the very least 120 factors. That’s not a recipe for fulfillment for the Spurs, and it confirmed as soon as once more in Recreation 5.
