Thunder even Western Conference finals series 1-1 after beating Spurs

Oklahoma City tied the Western Conference finals at 1-1 on Wednesday, May 20, with a 122-113 win over San Antonio after losing Game 1 in double overtime. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and added nine assists, and the Thunder used pressure defense to force 21 Spurs turnovers, according to NBA.com. Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks for San Antonio, while Stephon Castle scored 25 points. The series now shifts to Texas for Game 3 on Friday, May 22. ### How did Oklahoma City flip the series after losing Game 1? The Thunder took the lead late in the first quarter and held it for most of Game 2, according to NBA.com’s recap. Oklahoma City finished with a 27-10 edge in points off turnovers, a number that defined the game more than the shooting percentages did. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game, “The guys brought it tonight, knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one. We brought the energy from the jump,” NBA.com reported. Coach Mark Daigneault said, “I just thought the overall flow, rhythm, was really good.” ### Which players drove the result? (nba.com) Gilgeous-Alexander led seven Thunder players in double figures with 30 points, four rebounds and nine assists. Alex Caruso scored 17 points on seven shots, while Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes after playing 12 minutes in Game 1, NBA.com said. (nba.com) Wembanyama again filled the box score for San Antonio with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Castle added 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists, and Devin Vassell scored 22 points with six 3-pointers, according to the Sporting News box score. ### What changed for San Antonio? (nba.com) San Antonio committed 21 turnovers in Game 2 after winning the opener, and Castle alone had nine of them, NBA.com reported. Those mistakes undercut otherwise strong offensive numbers from the Spurs, who shot 49% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, according to Sporting News. (nba.com) NBA.com’s series page said Oklahoma City “improves its offensive execution in Game 2, limiting Victor Wembanyama to a really good game instead of a historic one.” That line reflected the shift from Game 1, when Wembanyama had dominated the matchup. ### What about the Holmgren-Wembanyama matchup? Chet Holmgren scored 13 points in 26:58 for Oklahoma City, according to the Sporting News box score. (nba.com) His stat line was smaller than Wembanyama’s, but the frontcourt rotation changed around him, with Hartenstein’s minutes more than doubling from Game 1 as Oklahoma City put more size on the floor. (nba.com) NBA.com said Hartenstein’s expanded role helped the Thunder’s defensive effort on Wembanyama. The site also listed Wembanyama as the Spurs’ series leader through two games at 31.0 points and 20.5 rebounds per game, while Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City at 27.0 points and 10.5 assists. ### What is next in the series? The NBA’s playoff page lists Game 3 for Friday, May 22, at 8:30 p.m. (sportingnews.com) ET in San Antonio on NBC and Peacock. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET, also in San Antonio, before the series returns to Oklahoma City for Game 5, if needed, on Tuesday, May 26. (nba.com)