Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a dominant 32-point performance to lead the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127–114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, moving OKC within touching distance of reaching the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder capitalized on San Antonio’s numerous turnovers, taking a 3–2 lead in the Western Conference Finals, with up to two games remaining should the Spurs manage to force a decisive Game 7.
San Antonio had leveled the series 2–2 with a strong showing on Sunday, but produced a lackluster display in Game 5 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
French sensation Victor Wembanyama endured a difficult shooting night, scoring 20 points but making only 4 of 15 attempts from the field, adding just six rebounds.
His teammate Devin Vassell struggled as well, finishing with only 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting, despite averaging 17 points over the first four games of the series.
Gilgeous-Alexander was one of five Thunder players to score in double figures. Alex Caruso came off the bench to add 22 points, including four three-pointers, while Jared McCain contributed 20 points.
The series now shifts back to San Antonio for Game 6, where the Thunder will have the chance to close out the matchup.
The winner of this series will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, after New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0.
