OKC leads Spurs 2-1 after Game 3

Oklahoma City took control of the Western Conference finals with a 123-108 road win over San Antonio in Game 3 on Friday, moving ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. The Thunder erased an early 15-point deficit and leaned on a second unit that swung the game before halftime. Jared McCain scored 24 points off the bench, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 26 points and 12 assists, according to NBA.com. San Antonio had opened fast at home, but Oklahoma City’s bench production and shot-making changed the game by the middle of the second quarter. ### How did Oklahoma City flip a game that started badly? San Antonio led by 15 points in the first quarter before Oklahoma City answered with a 32-point second quarter and a 37-point third, according to the Game 3 box score. The Spurs’ last lead came with about half of the second quarter remaining, Sporting News reported, as the Thunder pushed in front and stayed there. Oklahoma City finished 17-for-38 from 3-point range and shot 48.1% overall, while San Antonio shot 42.5%. (nba.com) Game 3 ended with Oklahoma City ahead 123-108, and the scoreline reflected how thoroughly the Thunder settled after the opening stretch. The Thunder also forced 15 Spurs turnovers and turned those into 20 points, while winning the rebound battle 41-37. (foxsports.com) ### Why was Jared McCain at the center of the result? Jared McCain scored a playoff career-high 24 points in 28 minutes off the bench, NBA.com said, giving Oklahoma City a scoring burst San Antonio did not match. NBA.com said McCain joined James Harden as the only Thunder players to score 20 or more points off the bench in a postseason game before turning 23. (foxsports.com) USA Today said McCain repeatedly attacked Victor Wembanyama and helped power a bench unit that overwhelmed San Antonio’s reserves. McCain was not alone there: Jaylin Williams scored a playoff career-high 18 points, Alex Caruso had 15, and Cason Wallace added 11 as Oklahoma City’s bench posted 76 points. (nba.com) ### How big was the Thunder bench edge, exactly? Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored San Antonio’s bench 76-23 in Game 3, and NBA.com said that was part of a historic run by the Thunder second unit. Through three games, NBA.com said, Oklahoma City’s bench held a plus-119 scoring differential over San Antonio. (nba.com) The Game 3 bench total also set a franchise playoff record for the Thunder, according to NBA.com’s live recap. That support mattered with Jalen Williams out again because of a hamstring injury, leaving Oklahoma City to rely more heavily on its depth around Gilgeous-Alexander. ### What did San Antonio still get from its stars? (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama entered Game 4 as the series leader at 29.3 points and 15.0 rebounds per game, according to the NBA’s series page. De’Aaron Fox, who made his Western Conference finals debut in Game 3 after missing the first two games, finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes, NBA.com said. San Antonio still got to the line 33 times and scored 40 points in the paint in Game 3, according to the box score. But the Spurs were outshot from deep, lost the bench battle decisively and could not hold the early cushion they built at home. (nba.com) ### When is Game 4 and where can viewers watch it? Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in San Antonio, with NBC and Peacock carrying the broadcast, according to Yahoo Sports and the NBA playoff schedule page. Yahoo listed the tip at 8 p.m. ET, while the NBA’s series page listed Game 4 for 8:00 p.m. ET on May 24. (foxsports.com) The NBA’s series page lists Game 5 for May 26 in Oklahoma City, with Games 6 and 7, if necessary, set for May 28 and May 30. Oklahoma City enters Sunday with a 2-1 lead and a chance to move within one win of the NBA Finals. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)