Thunder bounce again for Sport 5 win over Spurs, take 3-2 collection lead

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 factors, Alex Caruso led one other sturdy bench effort with 22 and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder moved one win away from a return journey to the NBA Finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Tuesday night time.

Jared McCain — getting the decision with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell each sidelined — scored 20 in his first playoff begin for the defending NBA champion Thunder, who lead the Western Convention finals 3-2.

Chet Holmgren scored 16 factors and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, whereas Isaiah Hartenstein had a 12-point, 15-rebound night time in Oklahoma Metropolis.

Stephon Fortress scored 24 factors for San Antonio, which bought 22 factors from Julian Champagnie and 20 factors from Victor Wembanyama — who was held to 4-of-15 taking pictures.

Keldon Johnson scored 15 off the bench for San Antonio, which missed 29 of its 41 3-point tries.

Sport 6 is Thursday in San Antonio. If there is a Sport 7, it’s going to be again in Oklahoma Metropolis on Saturday — and whereas this collection winds down, the New York Knicks are ready to see who emerges.

The Knicks will play the Thunder-Spurs winner in Sport 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, with that collection beginning within the Western Convention metropolis.

Oklahoma Metropolis scored 40 factors within the second quarter to take management and stored the lead the remainder of the way in which.

“We simply performed to who we have been tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned.

It took almost 10 minutes for the primary free throws to be awarded. However when the parade to the foul line began, it did not cease.

The groups mixed to make 29 free throws within the second quarter alone, essentially the most within the second quarter of any NBA sport because the bubble playoffs almost six years in the past. It wasn’t a one-sided factor — the Spurs have been 15 for 17 within the quarter, the Thunder 14 for 14.

Oklahoma Metropolis went up by 20 within the third, earlier than San Antonio closed inside eight. The Spurs may need had some probabilities to chop even additional into the deficit, however have been fuming — and rightly so, it appeared — over some missed calls within the ultimate minute of the quarter.

A tip-in strive by San Antonio’s Luke Kornet with about 56 seconds left was knocked off the rim by Oklahoma Metropolis’s Cason Wallace and will have been goaltending. And on the subsequent Spurs’ possession, an out-of-bounds name that ought to have gone their means — replays confirmed the ball went out off of Holmgren — didn’t. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson tried to problem the decision, bought ignored, then bought a technical foul for arguing.

In spite of everything that, Oklahoma Metropolis’s lead was 101-91 going into the fourth.