Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 in Game 2 on Wednesday, leveling the Western Conference finals at 1-1. Alex Caruso added 17 points off the bench, and Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds as the defending champions answered a Game 1 loss with a steadier, sharper performance at home.
The Thunder were better in the places that decided the game. They outscored San Antonio 57-25 off the bench and won the turnover battle 27-10, two numbers that explain why Oklahoma City improved to 14-5 after a loss this season. Chet Holmgren scored 13 points, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each had 12, and the Thunder also got a night that looked more like the team that has spent the season surviving swings and extending them.
Gilgeous-Alexander said the group responded with purpose after a poor series opener. “The guys brought it tonight,” he said, adding that the stakes from the first whistle were plain after Game 1. Coach Mark Daigneault said he sensed that response coming. “I thought we all played better,” he said, and added that he had “a quiet confidence” his team would play better after the first game, even before he knew whether that would be enough to win.
San Antonio still had enough firepower to make Oklahoma City work. Stephon Castle scored 25 points, Devin Vassell added 22 and Victor Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. But the Spurs never fully solved the pressure Oklahoma City put on the ball, and Mitch Johnson said that was a major problem as San Antonio tried to cover for missing pieces. He said the Thunder were forcing “a ton” of turnovers and noted that being without some primary creators and initiators added strain to the way the Spurs had to play, run and adjust. He added that San Antonio will have to be sharper in that area because it is “tough fully loaded against these guys.”
The game also came with more concern than either side wanted. Jalen Williams left in the first half with a recurrence of a left hamstring issue, and Dylan Harper exited in the third quarter with a right leg injury. San Antonio was already playing without De'Aaron Fox, who sat because of ankle soreness, and the injuries cut further into the depth both teams were trying to use in a tight series. The Thunder beat the Spurs for the second time in seven meetings, a reminder that even after a rough opener, Oklahoma City still has the ability to bend the matchup in its favor.
Game 3 is set for Friday in San Antonio, where the series now shifts with the pressure reset and the margin for mistakes already shrinking.
