Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder returned home for Game 5 tonight with a chip on their shoulder after a daunting 82-103 Game 4 loss to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs that saw one of their worst offensive performances of the season.
With less than six minutes left in the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander went viral for snatching Victor Wembanyama’s ankles while driving into the paint, which nearly made the 7’5″ Defensive Player of the Year touch earth.
MVP v DPOY https://t.co/bQVFciqWvA pic.twitter.com/vphq0FtUN5
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 27, 2026
NBA fans loved what they saw from the reigning MVP as he went on an eventual heater to score 30 points in the first three quarters alone, including 12 in the second quarter alone.
“This move from Shai was filthy. Made Wemby touch earth.”
“That crossover was disrespectful, ankles officially gone. SGA’s handles are pure art, man, and Wemby got sent to another dimension.”
“Shai is making it known why he’s the MVP.”
“Wemby touched grass again, SGA too smooth for the big fella🤣🙌.”
“That was nasty!”
“Shai’s handle is so controlled it doesn’t even look flashy until the defender is suddenly gone.”
Wembanyama may have done something that did not rub off well on the Thunder. He bumped into Chet Holmgren with less than four minutes to play in the first quarter, which drew a reaction from not just Holmgren, but also Jaylin Williams.
Victor Wembanyama bumps into Chet Holmgren
Jaylin Williams reaction is priceless. 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/m4rhBhfz0Y
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 27, 2026
Not saying this incident offended Gilgeous-Alexander personally, but right after this, the Thunder rallied back from an initial eight-point hole to take a 20-point lead in the third quarter.
This shows how intensely both teams were competing tonight, as 42 out of the 55 times a conference finals series has been tied at 2-2, the team that won Game 5 ended up winning the series (a 76.4% success rate).
The 27-year-old Canadian star took the offensive burden once again on his shoulders tonight after sitting out the entire fourth quarter in Game 4 and reminded everyone why he was voted as the MVP in the first place.
Several media members said that this game is a must-win game for the Thunder to avoid a Game 6 closeout on the road. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came out looking like he knew how to get the job done tonight.
Meanwhile, after a solid start, Victor Wembanyama’s offense has taken a severe hit tonight. Midway through the fourth quarter, he had to go to the free-throw line for 12 of his 20 points (along with six rebounds, two steals, and three blocks), as he was struggling to score from the field (4-15 FG, 26.7 FG%).
With two minutes left in the game, the Spurs waved the white flag as they were down 15 points (107-122) and benched all their starters. The Thunder did the same as Gilgeous-Alexander’s night ended with 32 points, nine assists, two steals, two rebounds, and one block while going 7-19 from the field (36.8 FG%), 2-3 from the three-point line (66.7 3P%), and 16-17 from the free-throw line.
The Thunder are now headed on the road for Game 6 after securing an important 127-114 win tonight on the road. They will hope to close out the series on the road, but will nonetheless have homecourt advantage if the Spurs manage to force a Game 7.
This series has all NBA fans on the edge of their seats. It will be interesting to see how things turn out in San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday, May 28. The Knicks now await the winner of this series in the NBA Finals.
