Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, giving the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished 7-for-19 from the field and an eye-popping 16-for-17 from the free throw line, including making all 10 of his first-half attempts. He also had nine assists, two steals and one block, but committed six turnovers after starting the game 1-for-6 with four turnovers. He addressed the rough start plainly: "If it was five me’s out there, we probably would’ve been down 20 after the first quarter."
The numbers underlined the win: Oklahoma City matched its Game 4 total by putting up 69 points by halftime, then sustained the edge through the second half. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed offensively and helped limit Victor Wembanyama in the paint; Wembanyama scored 20 points on 4-for-15 shooting with eight points in the paint and grabbed six rebounds.
Coach Mark Daigneault framed the turnaround in blunt terms after the game. "We were first to the fight on both ends, and we weren’t the other night," he said. "That’s why that game went the way it did, and I think that’s why (Game 5) went the way it did." He praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s demeanor: "He obviously didn’t have his fastball early, but he stays so present. His confidence never wavers. He really has great trust in himself, and that was on display tonight."
Game 5 was the Thunder’s best offensive game of the Western Conference Finals, and it arrived without two rotation players: injured All-Star forward Jalen Williams did not play, and guard Ajay Mitchell was out for the second straight game. The Thunder are the defending champions and sit one victory from a return trip to the NBA Finals.
The historical angle is stark. Teams that win Game 5 of a 2-2 best-of-7 series go on to win the series 81.8% of the time. Daigneault noted there is some variance to every game — "Obviously, there’s always some variance. They missed some good looks, but I just loved looking internally at us" — but he said the team earned the result by attacking on both ends: "I just loved the way that we approached the game on both ends of the floor. We attacked the game and were rewarded for that."
The Spurs still posed questions for Oklahoma City. Wembanyama’s scoring total masked an inefficient night, and San Antonio will lean on adjustments at home. The Spurs’ ability to find consistent high-percentage looks in the paint and limit turnovers will be decisive in a series that the Thunder now control.
If you’re wondering which basketball game tonight to track next, Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio at 8:30 ET on NBC and Peacock. Given the Thunder’s performance in Game 5, the injuries on both benches and the historical trend favoring Game 5 winners, Oklahoma City is heavily favored to close the series in San Antonio and advance back to the Finals.
