Jared McCain got the call into Oklahoma City’s starting five for Game 5 against the Spurs, and he answered with 20 points in his first-ever playoff start. Mark Daigneault turned to McCain to fill an opening created by injuries, and the move gave the defending champs a needed lift in a tense series.
The timing mattered because Oklahoma City had entered the game short-handed, with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell both battling injuries and leaving an empty spot in the lineup. For McCain, the start was also the latest sign that the jared mccain trade has already reshaped the Thunder’s postseason options, after his arrival from the 76ers at this year’s deadline.
McCain had already been doing damage off the bench as a perimeter creator, and he had been the hero of Game 3’s win, but this was a different assignment. Most of his offense came with the ball in his hands earlier in the playoffs; in the start, he had to work off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander instead. That adjustment did not stop him from producing. He scored 20 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including 3-for-9 from three, and held his own on defense against San Antonio.
It was his third appearance in the starting lineup since coming to Oklahoma City, and it fit the larger story of a team that has leaned on him more than once when the games tightened. McCain has swung the tide in at least two games to help Oklahoma City win, and the Thunder might not be in this position without him. That is what makes the next decision so important: if Williams and Mitchell return, Daigneault will have to decide whether McCain stays in the opening five or goes back to the role that has already made him so valuable.
