As the New York Knicks move on to the NBA Finals, the war in the West still rages on as Thunder vs Spurs Game 5 becomes a crucial showdown. With the series knotted at 2-2, OKC has to figure out how to finally gain the upper hand with the Western Conference Finals now down to a best-of-three.
It has been a storied battle so far. The OKC bench has been rolling, the Spurs are finding ways to answer back, and the Thunder are trying to stay afloat with all the injuries they’ve been dealing with. But now more than ever, the pivotal Game 5 of this series will likely play a huge role in what will unfold in the remaining contests.
Can OKC Win a Pivotal Thunder vs Spurs Game 5?
At this point, OKC is definitely feeling some déjà vu, having seen the same scenario twice in their championship run. So far, this Thunder team is approaching the next few games with a lot of confidence, and it cannot be denied that they will need a strong performance to have a chance to win and go up 3-2, with an opportunity to seal the series on the road.
SGA Needs to Be More Aggressive
Heading into Thunder vs Spurs Game 5, the stakes are higher than ever. For Oklahoma City, this gets a little bit tricky, considering they’re still short on manpower. Jalen Williams is questionable in the showdown, while Ajay Mitchell is definitely out of the picture with a soleus strain. Considering how Jared McCain was ineffective in their Game 4 loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has to elevate his game further.
You cannot shoot mid ranges the entire game, this is my problem with SGA.
— 𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙖 (@arkaavs) May 25, 2026
For the first time in his career, SGA has lost a Game 4, finishing with just 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting. It was also the first time that OKC has lost a game while scoring less than 90 points since 2022. If anything, the blame really shifts to Gilgeous-Alexander to hunt his spots, find his rhythm better, and drill the basic shots that he always gets.
Let’s be honest, the back-to-back MVP hasn’t really shown his worth well enough in this series. For a blazing scorer of his caliber, he’s only managed to score more than 30 points once in the first four games. If OKC is going to have a chance to win in this series, they will need more of his game now more than ever.
The OKC Bench Needs to Come Alive
After being such a forceful factor in the first three games, the Thunder bench was shut down hard and failed to come up with a big swing that should have given the defending champions a huge boost on the road. After scoring 76 points in their Game 3 win, Oklahoma City’s reserves only scored 34 points. Sure, they had more points than the Spurs’ bench at 30, but their extended presence has been the biggest impact for OKC so far.
Jaylin Williams, who was impressive in the Game 3 win, finished with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. McCain, on the other hand, only had four points on 1-of-10 shooting. He simply ran out of gas after a breakout Game 3, where he finished with 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Alex Caruso, who has been the Thunder’s X-factor for most of the series, played differently in the game and did not even score a single point.
Spurs won the game fair and square.
Thunder played badly and deserved to lose.
They play like that in OKC they will lose again. Particularly the bench
The blowout aspect (largest margin of victory in the series by either side) is the point where the differential is annoying https://t.co/F8ibUcy2DB
— SoonerVirginia (@SoonerVirginia) May 25, 2026
For what it’s worth, the Spurs didn’t really play well, either. It’s just that the Thunder’s shots weren’t falling, and their bench may have really been fatigued on the road. Now that they’re home for Game 5, it’s a chance for them to bounce back.
Home Crowd Gives the Thunder a Boost
Despite the loss in Game 4, in which the Spurs really made no adjustments — save for taking advantage of the fact that OKC is down two ball handlers — the defending champions are finally back home. They’ve only lost one game at home this season, with that one coming in double overtime. This says a lot about the resilience the Thunder are playing with, and they’re a different beast at Paycom Center.
Thunder At Home in the Playoffs – Past 3 Years
19-5 RecordLosses:
2026
SA – Wemby makes 3-pointer in OT2025
IND – Haliburton wins game at the buzzer
DEN – Aaron Gordon makes 3-pointer with OKC collapse2024
DAL – Thunder shoot 10-40 from 3
DAL – PJ Washington 29 point game pic.twitter.com/ZAa9rS98nf— OKC Thunder Stats (@ThunderNumbers) May 25, 2026
Considering how pivotal Game 5 can be, expect a major uphill battle. Just like how it was against the Denver Nuggets when Nikola Jokic drilled that soul-draining 3-pointer in front of Chet Holmgren‘s outstretched arms, or J-Dub’s 40-piece in last year’s NBA Finals.
This is the most important game of the Western Conference Finals, and the Thunder must fight back if they want to keep their season alive and their hopes of repeating on the right track.
© Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
