Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder to Game 2 win, evens series with Spurs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to bounce back from a lackluster series opener, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 122-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

Chet Holmgren added 13 points, while reserves Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each contributed 12 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder bench outscored San Antonio’s reserves 57-25 and held a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I thought we all played better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I had a quiet confidence about that. I didn’t know if we’d win or lose the game, but I was pretty sure after watching Game 1 and knowing our team that we were going to come out and play better tonight.”

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 25 points. Devin Vassell added 22, and Victor Wembanyama posted 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in San Antonio.

“The guys brought it tonight,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was recently named the league MVP for the second straight season. “Knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one, we brought the energy from the jump.”

The Thunder’s defensive game plan focused on limiting Wembanyama, who had 41 points and 24 rebounds in San Antonio’s 122-115 Game 1 victory.

“Every good player, they have to feel the defense,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s tough. He’s very different to scout. You’ve got to try to mix things up, you’ve got try different things. And that’s just what we did. Coach tried something in the first game, didn’t like it, tried something else. That’s what it’s about.”

The win came at a cost for Oklahoma City, as guard Jalen Williams left in the first half with tightness in his left hamstring, an injury that previously caused him to miss six playoff games. His availability for Friday is in doubt.

San Antonio also suffered injuries. Already missing All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox due to ankle soreness, the Spurs lost his replacement, Dylan Harper, to a right leg injury after he took several awkward falls in the third quarter.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had no update on Harper after the game but said the absences put “a ton” of pressure on the remaining players.

“Obviously this team is as good as anybody at turning you over, so when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators it causes a little bit of an extra strain, whether that’s who to play, what to play, what to run, etc, etc,” Johnson said. “We’ll just have to be sharper in that area because it’s tough fully loaded against these guys.”