The Oklahoma City Thunder took an all-important 2-1 lead against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals on Friday night.
Despite the absence of Jalen Williams, the Thunder refused to panic under the hostile pressure of the Frost Bank Center, clinching a 123-108 Game 3 win.
NBA Stars Weigh In on Oklahoma City Game 3 Win Despite San Antonio’s ‘Electric’ Start
San Antonio erupted for a 15-0 lead right after tipoff, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was clear the Spurs were not going to hold back, executing an offense that looked completely unstoppable.
With Devin Vassell connecting from beyond the arc to make it a 10-0 game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was forced to burn an early timeout.
OKC gradually found its footing in the blistering pace of the game and clawed back to cut the deficit to 31-26 by the end of the first quarter.
With the series tied at 1-1, the clean, physical play eventually gave way to a slog of foul calls. The officiating crew tightened their whistles as the game wore on, and the defensive intensity went up from both teams.
Fans in San Antonio grew furious and directed their anger at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, booing the Thunder star with “flopper” chants whenever he stepped to the line or hit the deck.
Spurs fans chanted “FLOPPER” at SGA for 2 minutes straight 😭 pic.twitter.com/PUKjhfNEtU
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) May 23, 2026
The tension peaked in the third quarter during a physical altercation when the Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell tangled with the Spurs’ Stephon Castle following a fastbreak foul.
This sparked a shoving match, and San Antonio eventually lost its grip on the contest.
Stephon Castle gets fouled by Ajay Mitchell on the fastbreak layup attempt, Devin Vassell lets Mitchell know he doesn’t appreciate, and they exchange shoves.
The Spurs’ security hold Castle back, Isaiah Joe tests the Thunder’s coach team, pretending he is about to join the… pic.twitter.com/iBHKkBGygk
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 23, 2026
Peers and NBA legends watching on took notice of the topsy-turvy game and poured in their reactions.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder showed us all exactly why they’re the Champions tonight! They were down 15-0 to the San Antonio Spurs in the first couple minutes and came back to win the game 123-108 …I thought the Spurs lost their cool a little bit tonight and that hurt them,” NBA legend Magic Johnson wrote.
The Oklahoma City Thunder showed us all exactly why they’re the Champions tonight! They 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…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 23, 2026
“Refs doin too much,” nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard remarked.
“This first quarter is electric. These teams are COMPETING! No complaining to officials, no looking for help. This is the basketball that we love to see both as fans and players!” Grant Williams remarked.
This first quarter is electric. These teams are COMPETING! No complaining to officials, no looking for help. This is the basketball that we love to see both as fans and players!
ITS GREAT TO HAVE BASKETBALL AT THIS PEAK AND IF YOU AREN’T WATCHING TURN IT ON!
— Grant Williams (@Grant2Will) May 23, 2026
“JMAC,” Tyrese Maxey posted.
Former All-Star Michael Redd also shared his takeaways, writing, “Spurs can’t afford to lose Game 4, obviously.”
OKC Thunder take Game 3 of the WCF. My quick reaction:
-Mark Daigneault coached like a COTY tonight
-Jared McCain is playing with supreme confidence
-Shai was better than his numbers. Caruso made lot of winning plays. OKC’s depth is awesome
-San Antonio Spurs started… pic.twitter.com/evkcJ5j6Vd
— Michael Redd (@MichaelRedd_) May 23, 2026
“Somebody tell Mccants bring them body bags for his team on Tuesday!!!!! OKC in 5 or 6,” former NBA star Brandon Jennings claimed.
Oklahoma City erased the early deficit by relying on its productive second unit. The Thunder bench completely overwhelmed the Spurs reserves by a staggering 76-23 margin, and Jared McCain anchored that charge with a playoff career-high 24 points.
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It was a completely different story for San Antonio, which got steady production from their top tier, but the lack of production from the bench failed to keep them afloat.
When Game 4 tips off in San Antonio, the Spurs will need to sustain their offensive execution beyond the first few minutes. They will also be keen to avoid getting bogged down in foul trouble against a Thunder team that is great at manipulating defensive aggression.
