OKC nears NBA Finals return after taking down Spurs

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Oklahoma City Thunder moved a win away from securing a second consecutive NBA Finals berth after neutralizing the San Antonio Spurs, 127-114, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on May 27, 2026.

After absorbing its worst loss of the ongoing NBA Playoffs, the defending champions sent San Antonio a bold message as they protected home court, bouncing back from a horrendous shooting performance in Game 4.

Just like in the past games, the Western Conference Finals has always been a dogfight, with both teams trading scoring runs to erase double-digit leads, but it was OKC’s turn to step on the gas pedal when the second half kicked off.

The Spurs once again had an electrifying start after shooting guard Julian Champagnie went unconscious from the field with three early 3-pointers, but Chet Holmgren responded with a perfect 4-of-4 shooting clip to steer OKC in front, 29-27, after the first quarter.

In the next quarter, San Antonio’s aggressiveness in attacking the paint paid off after putting OKC in the foul limit with eight minutes still left, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander woke up when his team needed him the most as he drew fouls and got to his sweet spots to end the half with 19 big points.

SGA’s craftiness reversed OKC’s fortunes as the Thunder suddenly earned consecutive trips to the charity stripe, taking advantage of San Antonio’s sloppy fouls and defensive miscues.

All hell broke loose when OKC started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to build an 18-point lead, forcing head coach Mitch Johnson to call an early emergency timeout.

The fired-up Spurs huddle eventually had a positive effect after Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Stephon Castle spearheaded a 14-2 run to trim their deficit to eight points, 87-79.

Unfortunately, that 14-2 run became the last bright spot for the Spurs as the OKC bench, led by Jared McCain, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace, wreaked havoc on the Spurs on both ends of the floor.

McCain provided the offense, Caruso locked down the Spurs’ passing lanes, and Wallace handled the intangibles during the crucial window when SGA rested on the bench.

Without SGA on the floor, OKC still schooled the Spurs, dropping the hammer with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead.

San Antonio tried its best to complete quick scoring spurts, but SGA, McCain, and Isaiah Hartenstein made sure that OKC’s double-digit lead would be protected with only five minutes remaining in regulation.

SGA had his best scoring performance against the Spurs during the Game 5 win as he finished with a team-high 32 points, nine assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Caruso contributed 22 markers off the bench.

Holmgren, who was criticized throughout the series due to consecutive passive performances, finally broke out of his slump and chipped in 16 points and 11 boards.

On the other hand, Castle led the Spurs with 24 points, but Wembanyama, who is averaging 30 points in the series, was held to 20 markers on a dismal 4-of-15 shooting clip.

Can OKC continue its quest for a back-to-back NBA title? Or will San Antonio show another fight and force a winner-take-all Game 7?