The defending champions are a game away from reaching back-to-back NBA Finals.
In a pivotal Game 5 with the series tied 2-2, the Oklahoma City Thunder made a major statement with two starters out of the lineup in Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, blanking the San Antonio Spurs in a 127-114 victory.
San Antonio’s two wins in this series have been Victor Wembanyama’s two best games, but the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year had the worst playoff game of his young career on Tuesday, shooting 4-for-15 from the field while not having his typical defensive impact.
On Thursday night, either the stage for the NBA Finals will be officially set between the Thunder and New York Knicks, or Wembanyama will add another chapter to his burgeoning legacy to become one game from reaching the finals in his first postseason run of his career.
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First Pick: San Antonio Spurs -3.5 over Oklahoma City Thunder
Rundown: The preeminent storyline of this series, other than being between the two teams that seem set to rule over the NBA for the next decade, is who will take the championship belt as the best player in the league.
Wembanyama put in his claim as the best player in the world with his historic 41-point and 24-rebound performance in Game 1’s double-overtime thriller, but in Game 5, it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who drastically outplayed his counterpart.
While the series could go in either direction, this column predicts the Frenchman to not go down without a fight, and have a much improved performance in Game 6.
The Thunder have been forced to insert Jared McCain into the starting lineup with their backcourt injuries, and while that has not come back to bite them yet, on the road where role players typically don’t shoot as well at home in Game 6, expect OKC’s depth to have less of an impact.
The Spurs have continued to limit the back-to-back MVP through this series, holding him to 38% from the field, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get to the free throw line helped him rack up 32 points with 17 free throw attempts in Game 5.
With a more favorable whistle at home, Wembanyama should win the duel between these MVP candidates in Game 6 to help force a do-or-die Game 7.
Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the fourth quarter in game five of the Western Conference Finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
Second Pick: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – Over 219
Rundown: The Thunder’s abysmal 82-point performance in Game 4 forced the under to hit for the only time in this series, but the over is 4-1 through five games and there’s little reason to expect that trend not to continue.
Both teams have hit the over in nine of their last 11, and each team’s ability to get to the charity stripe puts a clear floor on how low-scoring this series can be.