Thunder take 2-1 series lead after Game 3 win over Spurs

Oklahoma City left San Antonio with the series edge, but Game 3 turned on how quickly the Thunder stabilized after the opening minutes. The Spurs scored the first 15 points Friday night before Oklahoma City answered with its bench, which changed the pace and eventually the scoreboard. By the end, the Thunder had a 123-108 win, a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and a new playoff benchmark for reserve scoring. (sportingnews.com) ### How did the game flip after San Antonio's 15-0 start? (sportingnews.com) San Antonio opened Game 3 with a 15-0 run in less than three minutes, forcing Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault to his bench almost immediately, according to Newsday's game recap. (nba.com) Alex Caruso was the first Thunder reserve to enter, and the early substitution helped settle the game before Oklahoma City took control over the remaining three quarters. The final margin showed how complete the turnaround was. Oklahoma City went from trailing by 15 at the start to winning by 15 at the end, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 26 points in 36 minutes and the Thunder outlasting a Spurs team that got 26 points from Victor Wembanyama. (sportingnews.com) ### Why was the Thunder bench the defining number? The Thunder bench scored 76 points, which Sporting News described as a franchise-high total from reserves in the playoffs. NBA.com said Jared McCain scored a playoff career-high 24 points and Jaylin Williams added a playoff career-high 18 as Oklahoma City built separation after the early deficit. (newsday.com) That number mattered because the series had already shown how dependent both teams can be on their headline stars. In Game 3, Oklahoma City's second unit supplied enough offense to keep pressure off Gilgeous-Alexander while forcing San Antonio to defend beyond the primary matchup. Yahoo's live recap and Sporting News both framed the reserve production as the central factor in the result. (sportingnews.com) ### What did the stars still contribute? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points for Oklahoma City, matching Victor Wembanyama's 26 for San Antonio in the scoring column. Basketball-Reference's series page and NBA.com's playoff page list Gilgeous-Alexander as Oklahoma City's leading scorer in the series at 26.7 points per game through three games, while Wembanyama is averaging 29.3 points and 15.0 rebounds for San Antonio. (sportingnews.com) All five Spurs starters scored in double figures, according to Sporting News, but the balance did not offset Oklahoma City's reserve surge. That split helps explain why San Antonio's strong opening and steady starter production still ended in a double-digit loss. (sports.yahoo.com) ### Where does the series stand now? Basketball-Reference and NBA.com both list the Western Conference finals at Thunder 2, Spurs 1 after Game 3. ESPN's live playoff coverage also reflected the updated series score after Oklahoma City's road win. (sportingnews.com) The broader playoff calendar is already fixed. NBC Sports and ESPN list the NBA Finals as beginning June 3, with Oklahoma City currently holding the better position in the West race after reclaiming home-court advantage with the San Antonio win. ### What comes next in San Antonio? Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 8:00 p.m. ET in San Antonio, according to NBA.com's series page. (sportingnews.com) The same page lists Game 5 for May 26 in Oklahoma City, with Games 6 and 7 set for May 28 and May 30 if necessary. (nba.com) (nbcsports.com) (basketball-reference.com)