The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up an emphatic 123-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals to take a 2-1 series lead. The No. 1 seed Thunder have taken control of this series and could take a 3-1 series lead on the road if they can repeat this result in Game 4 at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.
The Thunder as a whole looked great, although two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led them in production on the court with 26 points and 12 assists. Jared McCain had a playoff career-high of 24 points in his cameo off the bench, proving to be one of the best midseason acquisitions in recent memory.
It was a true team effort as the Thunder were the better squad across all facets of the court. Let’s take a look at ratings for the Thunder’s players after this win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A
Game Stats: 26 PTS, 2 REB, 12 AST, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 6-17 FG, 2-4 3P, 12-12 FT, 36 MIN
Gilgeous-Alexander controlled this game as the Thunder’s point guard, showcasing his deft playmaking by maximizing the team’s strength as outside shooters while delivering level-headed buckets whenever required. He was most productive in the third quarter when he contributed 12 points on seven free throw makes and 2-5 shooting, but his best quarter easily came with nine points on 4-6 shooting in the second quarter.
The only reason Shai doesn’t get an A+ is poor offensive efficiency in quarters one and four, going 0-6 on field goal attempts. Otherwise, this was exactly the kind of performance OKC needs from their two-time MVP to defend their NBA Championship.
Jared McCain: A
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 10-21 FG, 2-10 3P, 2-2 FT, 27 MIN
The 76ers’ regret on trading McCain to the reigning champions must be growing after McCain’s effortless scoring performance in this clash. After a slow start in the first half, McCain caught fire in the second and scored 16 points on 6-14 shooting from the field. On a night where the Spurs bench put up production of their own, McCain’s scoring boosted the Thunder greatly. This was his Playoff career high and might be remembered as one of the signature performances for OKC during this Playoff run.
Jaylin Williams: A
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 5-7 FG, 5-6 3P, 22 MIN
Jaylin Williams had one of his best games of the 2026 playoffs with an explosive performance off the bench. While he couldn’t necessarily have success as a defender against Victor Wembanyama, he maximized his offensive skills to ensure the Thunder has a steady stream of points coming from the perimeter, since Wembanyama had the paint locked down. He replaced Isaiah Hartenstein down the stretch and had a phenomenal game as a high-energy bench big.
Alex Caruso: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 4-7 FG, 3-5 3P, 4-6 FT, 24 MIN
Alex Caruso had yet another strong game in the postseason, making a huge impact as part of the Thunder bench mob. He spaced the floor while also ensuring that guards like Dylan Harper could enjoy basically no offensive success in this clash. It was an effective and efficient cameo for Caruso, who continues proving why he’s one of the best role-players in the NBA.
Cason Wallace: B+
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 3-8 FG, 2-6 3P, 28 MIN
Wallace had another strong game, following up from an impressive Game 2 performance as well. While Wallace’s production is never going to be flashy enough to lead the team, his consistency in his role is mind-boggling. He’s also one of the best guard defenders in the NBA, which makes his presence on the Thunder bench mob even scarier.
Chet Holmgren: B
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 5-7 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 28 MIN
Chet Holmgren had a pretty anonymous game by his standards, failing to lock Wembanyama down in their matchup. While the Thunder did pull away over the game because of their bench production, starters like Holmgren performed well below expectations. Nonetheless, Holmgren was the defensive foundation for the team on the night.
Isaiah Hartenstein: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 2 TOV, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3P, 21 MIN
Isaiah Hartenstein‘s Game 2 performance resulted in debates over his utility in this series, outside of just being a physical presence that can upset Wembanyama. Game 3 highlighted that Hartenstein might not be best-suited in a full-time Wembanyama matchup, but he can be a productive big man who has a positive impact across the team. He showed that with his deft passing and beating Wembanyama on the boards, but he had little-to-no defensive success and lost his minutes to Jaylin Williams for a reason.
Luguentz Dort: C
Game Stats: 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 TOV, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3P, 23 MIN
Dort played limited minutes and still saw himself be part of an on-court controversy resulting from a dirty play on De’Aaron Fox. The Thunder haven’t needed Dort outside of his physicality all series, with another poor production night highlighting how the team might have evolved beyond requiring his presence to maintain their defensive structure.
Isaiah Joe: C-
Game Stats: 3PTS, 1 AST, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3P, 9 MIN
Joe played just nine minutes in a bit-part role. His archetype as a scoring bench guard isn’t needed when other bench guards like McCain, Caruso, and Wallace are having productive nights, so Joe didn’t enjoy much on-court success.
Ajay Mitchell: C-
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 3 TOV, 1-5 FG, 0-1 3P, 17 MIN
Mitchell left the game with an injury in the third quarter, but had a pretty dull showing up until then.
Kenrich Williams: N/A
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3P, 2 MIN
Williams played a few garbage-time minutes and hit some shots, but his performance wasn’t noteworthy enough for a grade.
Nikola Topic: N/A
Game Stats: 0-1 FG, 2 MIN
Nikola Topic also played 90 seconds of garbage time in an unspectacular cameo.
Aaron Wiggins: N/A
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 1 REB, 2 STL, 2-4 FG, 7 MIN
Thudner veteran Aaron Wiggins also played in garbage time.
