Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to get the best of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, securing a 123-108 victory at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, May 22.
As a result of the road win, the Thunder will take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 of the series.
The Thunder managed to overcome a fast start by the Spurs, who took a 15-0 lead in the first quarter. It was San Antonio’s largest lead of the game.
“I thought we played very fast, but we knew it wasn’t sustainable,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought we could’ve done a better job of crashing the glass.”
Isaiah Hartenstein managed to get the Thunder on the scoreboard with an 11-foot floating jumper, off an assist from Luguentz Dort, with 8:06 left in the opening quarter.
The Thunder managed to close the gap, taking the lead for the first time with 10:56 left in the second quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander made a 27-foot 3-pointer to take the 32-31 lead.
“We just wanted to compete,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We just have to compete and get back into it and give ourselves a chance.”
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
Thunder bench sets franchise record
The Thunder’s reserves played a key role in the Game 3 win, scoring 76 of the team’s 123 total points.
The 76 points off the bench set a new franchise playoff record.
Jared McCain produced 24 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes of play.
“They do a great job of being ready,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on Peacock’s postgame show.
Jaylin Williams added 18 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. He went 5-for-7 from the field, including 5-for-6 from the 3-point line.
De’Aaron Fox returns for Spurs
De’Aaron Fox made his return to the starting lineup on Friday for the Spurs. He had missed the first two games of the series with an ankle sprain. He shot 7-of-14 from the field for 15 points. He was 1-for-6 from long range. Fox flirted with a potential triple-double, finishing the game with seven rebounds and six assists.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thunder vs Spurs Game 3 takeaways: How OKC rallied after slow start
