{"id":196802,"date":"2026-05-24T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=196802"},"modified":"2026-05-24T00:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T04:47:28","slug":"okc-bench-shine-game-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/24\/okc-bench-shine-game-3\/","title":{"rendered":"OKC Bench Continues to Shine in Thunder vs Spurs Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Thunder vs Spurs series<\/a> continues to highlight a high level of basketball. The OKC bench<\/a>, however, is taking over the spotlight so far. We’ve seen a whole lot of changes from both teams, but it seems that Oklahoma City is finally showing the worth of its depth. It has been quite an eventful Western Conference Finals, and it continues to impress for the side of the defending champs.<\/p>\n

For starters, we have seen how the Thunder have responded to adversity twice. They’ve taken a gut punch in Game 1, and they weathered the storm to begin Game 3. The story has been all about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> versus Victor Wembanyama<\/a>. However, one astounding factor in the game has been the overwhelming presence of the OKC bench. They’ve been the X-factor for the team in these playoffs, and it is paying off now more than ever.<\/p>\n

OKC Bench Continues to Shine in Thunder vs Spurs Series<\/span><\/h2>\n

Since winning the 2025 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City has earned praise for its incredible, talented roster. We’ve seen a lot of talk about how the Thunder can go 10-12 players deep in the postseason, which is a little more than the usual rotation of eight or nine players. If anything, the OKC reserves have shown why they are worth the investment, and why Thunder GM Sam Presti deserves his flowers as well.<\/p>\n

Bench Power Has Been OKC’s Advantage in the WCF<\/h3>\n

The playoffs are not all about the star players. Sure, they’re the ones who do the heavy lifting, and they get most of the credit. However, the OKC bench is making a huge difference in these games. In fact, Game 1 showed why the Thunder are really designed to survive onslaughts from opposing teams and even rough stretches from their star players. With Jalen Williams<\/a> sidelined for most of the postseason, it goes to show how well the team thrives in counting on the next man up.<\/p>\n

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After going down 0-1, Oklahoma City has gone on to win back-to-back games, including one on the road. The Thunder handled everything pretty well — from surviving a 15-0 opening run by the Spurs, to keeping them at bay despite the raucous San Antonio crowd. In fact, the OKC bench has scored 183 points in the series<\/a>, a massive difference compared to San Antonio’s 51 points.<\/p>\n

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The Oklahoma City Thunder showed us all exactly why they\u2019re the Champions tonight!\u00a0They were down 15-0 to the San Antonio Spurs in the first couple minutes and came back to win the game 123-108. OKC had six players in double figures with big contributions from their bench – Jared\u2026<\/p>\n

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n