The Oklahoma City Thunder moved closer to the NBA Finals with a 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 32 points, while Alex Caruso contributed significantly off the bench with 22 points. The Thunder now lead the Western Conference finals 3-2, needing just one more win to secure their spot in the Finals.

Key Performances

Jared McCain, stepping up in the absence of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, scored 20 points in his first playoff start for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein recorded a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Thunder’s strong second quarter, where they scored 40 points, was pivotal in maintaining their lead throughout the game.

For the Spurs, Stephon Castle was the top scorer with 24 points. Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama added 22 and 20 points respectively, although Wembanyama struggled with his shooting, hitting only 4 of his 15 attempts. Keldon Johnson contributed 15 points off the bench, but the Spurs’ poor three-point shooting, missing 29 of 41 attempts, hindered their comeback efforts.

Controversial Calls

The game was not without controversy. In the third quarter, the Spurs were frustrated by missed calls, including a goaltending incident involving Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace and an out-of-bounds call that went against them. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson’s attempt to challenge the call was ignored, resulting in a technical foul for arguing.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio. If a Game 7 is necessary, it will take place in Oklahoma City on Saturday. The New York Knicks await the winner of this series for the NBA Finals, set to begin on June 3 in the Western Conference city.

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.