Thunder bench erupts for 76 points, OKC takes 2-1 series lead over Spurs

Oklahoma City erased a 15-0 deficit and beat San Antonio 123-108 on Friday, May 22, to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder got 76 points from their bench, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists. San Antonio had opened with the longest run to start a conference finals game since play-by-play tracking began in 1997, but Oklahoma City cut the gap to five by the end of the first quarter. The result gave the Thunder a second straight win after the Spurs took Game 1 in double overtime. ### How unusual was the Thunder's bench production? Oklahoma City's reserves outscored San Antonio's bench 76-23, a margin that defined the game. ESPN reported the 76 points were the most by any team in a conference finals or NBA Finals game since starters were first tracked in 1971, and an AP game report said it was the most bench scoring in a conference finals game since the NBA adopted the 16-team playoff format in 1984. (outlookindia.com) Jared McCain scored 24 points for Oklahoma City, Jaylin Williams added 18 and Alex Caruso had 15. Yahoo's repost of the AP report said McCain and Williams each set playoff career highs, while Caruso's 63 points through three games marked the best three-game scoring stretch of his career. ### What changed after San Antonio's 15-0 start? (msn.com) San Antonio scored the first 15 points of the night after De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper were cleared to play before tipoff. Fox, returning from a sprained right ankle, helped trigger the burst, and Victor Wembanyama added to it as the Spurs seized early control in San Antonio. (sports.yahoo.com) Mark Daigneault went to his bench less than three minutes into the game, and the rotation changed the pace immediately. AP's report said Caruso, McCain, Williams and Cason Wallace combined for 21 points in the remainder of the first quarter, trimming the Spurs' lead to 31-26. ### Which Thunder players carried the scoring load? (outlookindia.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists, and Chet Holmgren added 14 points. AP's report said only two Thunder starters reached double figures, which made the bench scoring even more central to the outcome. (sports.yahoo.com) Jalen Williams did not play because of left hamstring soreness. That absence expanded the workload for Oklahoma City's second unit, with Jaylin Williams and McCain taking larger scoring roles. ### What did San Antonio get from its stars? (outlookindia.com) Victor Wembanyama scored 24 points for San Antonio, while Devin Vassell added 20 and Fox finished with 15 in his first appearance of the series. All five Spurs starters scored in double figures, but the team could not match Oklahoma City's depth once the game settled after the opening run. (outlookindia.com) The second half also turned physical. AP's report said Stephon Castle hit the floor on consecutive dunk attempts, and the second drew a Flagrant 1 on Ajay Mitchell plus technical fouls on Mitchell and Vassell after the two exchanged words. (outlookindia.com) ### What did the Thunder say about the bench's role? Jared McCain said the Thunder's reserves had prepared for this kind of moment. "We talk about it a lot, in practice and throughout the whole playoffs: Be ready and stay ready," McCain said, according to the AP report carried by Yahoo. Mark Daigneault tied the bench output to Oklahoma City's approach for the series. "We assume the opponent's always at their best and we need to be at ours and depth is a part of that," Daigneault said, according to the same report. (outlookindia.com) ### When is the next game? NBA.com lists Game 4 for Sunday, May 24, at 8:00 p.m. (sports.yahoo.com) ET in San Antonio. The same series page lists Game 5 for Tuesday, May 26, back in Oklahoma City if needed, with the Thunder leading the series 2-1 entering Sunday. (nba.com)