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The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from a second straight NBA Finals berth. The Western Conference finals were played in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, with the defending league champions pulling away in the second half for a 127-114 victory in Game 5.
Two-time reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points and nine assists on Tuesday night.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder watches the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 26, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points and five rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama finished with a series-low 20 points.
On Tuesday, the Spurs appeared to be following a relatively simple formula for success in the Western Conference finals: When Wembanyama was the best player on the court, they won. When he wasn’t, they lost.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama looks on during the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Wembanyama, who had performances of 41 and 33 points in the Spurs’ two wins earlier in the series, never seemed to fully find his rhythm in Game 5. He was 4 of 15 from the floor, missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
He delivered an impassioned speech to his teammates during a timeout just two minutes into the third quarter, after the Thunder had opened an 18-point lead. And it worked – to a point. Oklahoma City scored again to extend the lead to 20, but the Spurs closed to within eight later in the third.
Elsewhere, the New York Knicks will have to wait until at least Thursday to find out which team will emerge from the Western Conference.
Jared McCain of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates during the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 26, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Even before the start of Game 5 of the Spurs-Thunder series, San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson was asked about Knicks fans in Manhattan chanting, “We want Wemby! We want Wemby!”
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“I know New York is on fire. They won, so this city obviously benefits from it and they had a hell of a playoff run,” Johnson said. “But unfortunately I’ve been pretty locked into what we have in front of us.”
