Thunder take 2-1 Western Conference finals lead as bench scores in 123-108 Game 3 win

Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 123-108 on Friday, May 22, to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals after falling behind 15-0 in the game’s first three minutes. The Thunder changed the game with their reserves, who scored 76 points after coach Mark Daigneault went to his bench early, according to AP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 26 points and 12 assists, while Victor Wembanyama scored 26 for San Antonio. The result gave the Thunder back home-court edge in a series that shifted to Texas tied at one game apiece. ### How did Oklahoma City recover after San Antonio’s 15-0 start? San Antonio opened with the longest run to start a conference finals game since play-by-play tracking began in 1997, AP reported. Daigneault responded before the game was three minutes old by turning to his bench, and Oklahoma City’s second unit changed both the pace and the scoring. (apnews.com) The Thunder’s reserves had already produced 50 points in Game 1 and 57 in Game 2, and they were even more productive in Game 3, AP reported. By the end of Friday’s game, Oklahoma City had turned an early 15-point hole into a 15-point win. (apnews.com) ### Which Thunder players drove the bench outburst? Jared McCain scored 24 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, according to the NBA box score. Jaylin Williams added 18 points and Alex Caruso scored 15, giving the Thunder multiple reserve scorers while three starters combined for only seven points, AP reported. (apnews.com) The 76 bench points were the most by a team in a conference finals game since the NBA adopted the 16-team playoff format in 1984, AP reported. USA Today said the total also set a Thunder franchise playoff record for bench scoring. (nba.com) ### What did the stars do while the bench carried the scoring? Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists in 36 minutes, according to the NBA box score. Chet Holmgren added 14 points, and Oklahoma City shot 48.1% from the field and 44.7% from 3-point range. Wembanyama matched Gilgeous-Alexander with 26 points for San Antonio, while Devin Vassell scored 20 and De’Aaron Fox had 15, according to the NBA box score. (apnews.com) Stephon Castle added 14 points, but San Antonio’s offense cooled after the opening burst and the Spurs were outscored over the rest of the night. (nba.com) ### How unusual was this game in the context of the series? Oklahoma City’s bench production has climbed in every game of the series — 50 points in Game 1, 57 in Game 2 and 76 in Game 3, AP reported. That progression has given the Thunder a different offensive source beyond Gilgeous-Alexander as the matchup has tightened. (nba.com) Friday’s game also showed how little Oklahoma City needed from part of its starting group. Lu Dort scored no points, Isaiah Hartenstein had five and Ajay Mitchell had two, according to the NBA box score, yet the Thunder still won by 15. ### What comes next in the series? Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in San Antonio, with Oklahoma City now leading the series 2-1, according to AP and the NBA game summary. (apnews.com) The Thunder are two wins from returning to the NBA Finals, while the Spurs need a split at home to avoid facing elimination when the series shifts back to Oklahoma City. (nba.com)