Thunder take 2-0 Western final lead, beat Spurs 117-103

Oklahoma City answered San Antonio’s Game 1 win with a 117-103 victory on Wednesday, May 20, in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. The result sent the series to San Antonio tied 1-1 after the Spurs had opened with a 122-115 double-overtime win on Monday. Yahoo Sports’ live box score listed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 32 points for the Thunder and Chet Holmgren with 14 rebounds. NBA.com’s schedule shows Game 3 is set for Friday, May 22, in San Antonio, followed by Game 4 on Sunday, May 24. ### How did Oklahoma City respond after dropping Game 1? Wednesday’s 14-point win gave the Thunder the split they needed before the series shifted to Texas. San Antonio had taken Game 1 behind a 41-point, 24-rebound performance from Victor Wembanyama, according to game records surfaced in search results, and Oklahoma City entered Game 2 trying to avoid a 2-0 deficit at home. (sports.yahoo.com) The Thunder’s response came through their top players. Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 32 points, and Holmgren’s 14 rebounds helped the Thunder control the glass well enough to close out the game in regulation after the opener had stretched to two overtimes. Yahoo Sports’ box-score page identified those as the headline individual numbers from Game 2. (totalprosports.com) ### Which numbers stood out most from Game 2? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points were the clearest indicator of Oklahoma City’s reset. After the Thunder lost the opener 122-115, the All-Star guard delivered the team-high scoring output in Game 2 as Oklahoma City evened the series. (sports.yahoo.com) Chet Holmgren’s 14 rebounds were the other telling number from the Yahoo Sports box score. Oklahoma City needed more interior resistance after Wembanyama’s Game 1 line, and Holmgren’s rebounding total was one of the main statistical changes attached to the Thunder’s bounce-back win. That connection is an inference based on the Game 1 and Game 2 box-score lines. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What was different around San Antonio entering the game? The Athletic’s live coverage said Spurs guard Dylan Harper was ruled out for Game 2. FOX Sports’ game page also listed De’Aaron Fox as unavailable because of an ankle injury for Wednesday’s game. Those absences left San Antonio without two backcourt options as it tried to build on its opening win. (sports.yahoo.com) San Antonio still arrived in Oklahoma City with momentum. NBA.com described the opener as a classic after the Spurs won in double overtime, and pregame coverage framed Game 2 as Oklahoma City’s chance to keep the series from tilting early. ### Did the schedule in the source material line up with the official calendar? (nytimes.com) NBA.com’s official schedule lists Game 3 for Friday, May 22, at San Antonio and Game 4 for Sunday, May 24, also in San Antonio. That differs from the preliminary card context, which said May 23 and May 25. The league schedule is the authoritative listing here. (nba.com) StatMuse’s team schedule page for Oklahoma City also showed the same dates for the next two games in the series, matching NBA.com’s calendar. ### What happens next in the series? Friday, May 22, is the next date on the schedule, with Oklahoma City visiting San Antonio for Game 3. NBA.com lists Game 4 for Sunday, May 24, before a potential Game 5 returns to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, May 26. (nba.com) (statmuse.com)