Oklahoma City evens West finals series 1-1

Oklahoma City evened the Western Conference finals at 1-1 with a 122-113 win over San Antonio in Game 2 on May 20, according to NBA.com and Basketball-Reference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and had nine assists as the Thunder answered San Antonio’s 122-115 double-overtime win in Game 1. The result sent the series to Texas tied after two games in Oklahoma City. The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin June 3 on ABC, according to CBS Sports and NBC Sports. ### How did Oklahoma City get the split? Oklahoma City took the lead late in the first quarter and held it for most of the night, NBA.com said. The Thunder closed out a Spurs push in the final minutes and finished with a nine-point win after dropping the opener at home. (nba.com) Game 1 had put immediate pressure on the defending champions. CBS Sports described Oklahoma City as the reigning champs, and said the Thunder bounced back in Game 2 after San Antonio won an overtime thriller in the series opener. ### Which numbers mattered most in Game 2? (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points and nine assists led Oklahoma City, while Alex Caruso added 17 points on seven shots, NBA.com said. Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes after playing 12 minutes in Game 1. (cbssports.com) San Antonio got 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists from Stephon Castle, while Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, according to NBA.com. Basketball-Reference listed the final score as 122-113. (nba.com) ### Why did the Spurs lose after taking Game 1? San Antonio committed 21 turnovers in Game 2, and Oklahoma City turned them into a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers, NBA.com said. Castle had nine turnovers by himself, part of the Spurs’ broader ball-security problems. (nba.com) Mark Daigneault pointed to Oklahoma City’s control of the game’s tempo. “I just thought the overall flow, rhythm, was really good,” the Thunder coach said, according to NBA.com. Gilgeous-Alexander said, “The guys brought it tonight, knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one. We brought the energy from the jump.” (nba.com) ### Where does the series stand now? The Western Conference finals are tied 1-1 after two close games, CBS Sports said. NBA.com’s series page lists San Antonio’s Game 1 win and Oklahoma City’s Game 2 response, with Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 27.0 points and 10.5 assists through two games and Wembanyama averaging 31.0 points and 20.5 rebounds. (nba.com) The broader playoff bracket tightened on May 22. CBS Sports said New York took a 2-0 lead over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, while the West remained level after Oklahoma City’s response. ### What comes next in the schedule? Game 3 is set for Friday, May 22, at 8:30 p.m. (cbssports.com) ET in San Antonio on NBC and Peacock, according to NBA.com and CBS Sports. NBA.com lists Game 4 for Sunday, May 24, and, if needed, Game 5 on May 26, Game 6 on May 28 and Game 7 on May 30. June 3 is the scheduled start of the NBA Finals on ABC, according to NBC Sports and ESPN’s playoff schedule coverage cited in the briefing. (cbssports.com) That leaves the Thunder and Spurs with at most five more games to decide the West representative. (nbcsports.com) (nba.com)