Thunder Player Ratings: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 32-Point Night Takes Down Spurs In Game 5

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one win away from the 2026 NBA Finals after picking up a 127-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to take a 3-2 series lead. The Spurs will have a chance to avoid elimination at home in Game 6, but the Thunder will maintain the upper hand until the series concludes.

League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 32 points and nine assists in the win to help the Thunder avoid going down 3-2 and having to play an elimination game on the road. Jared McCain‘s strong form continued with another 20-point performance, so the Thunder have plenty to be happy about despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell due to injury.

Let’s take a look at ratings for the players on the Thunder after this win, which brought them close to becoming the first team since the 2018 and 2019 Golden State Warriors to have consecutive NBA Finals appearances.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A

Game Stats: 32 PTS, 2 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TOV, 7-19 FG, 2-3 3P, 16-17 FT, 37 MIN

Gilgeous-Alexander had a conflicting game in the eyes of many. He was the clear No. 1 option on the court and orchestrating the Thunder offense, but his shooting inefficiency was saved by the 17 free throw attempts he received. Scoring 32 points on just seven made field goals is uncommon, but Gilgeous-Alexander exploited San Antonio’s defense consistently to keep a consistent scoring pace from the line.

An underrated aspect of Gilgeous-Alexander’s game in the postseason has been his playmaking, with Shai clearly leveling up his distribution to try to maximize the production he can get from his star teammates.

Alex Caruso: B+

Game Stats: 22 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 2 TOV, 5-10 FG, 4-8 3P, 8-8 FT, 28 MIN

Alex Caruso is turning out to be the Thunder’s second-best player in this series, turning into one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA over this series. Caruso seemed to pick up an injury early in the game but returned to the court to provide incredible on-ball defensive pressure while consistently stretching the floor. His ability to attack the rim and generate looks from the free throw line is also a huge advantage, which helped the Thunder secure this crucial Game 5 win.

Isaiah Hartenstein: B+

Game Stats: 12 PTS, 15 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 6-8 FG, 31 MIN

Isaiah Hartenstein had a strong comeback game tonight after Victor Wembanyama thoroughly outplayed him in Game 4. Hartenstein was a terror on the boards and one of the key reasons the Thunder won the rebounding battle on the night. His physicality against Wembanyama clearly unsettled the French center, who had his worst offensive game of the postseason.

Chet Holmgren: B+

Game Stats: 16 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 6-9 FG, 0-1 3P, 4-4 FT, 30 MIN

Chet Holmgren also deserves credit for OKC’s incredible defensive performance against Wembanyama tonight. He didn’t match up with Wembanyama for many one-on-one opportunities, but Holmgren used his length and quickness to consistently rotate over as a help defender to make Wembanyama’s life even harder. This was also easily Holmgren’s most productive offensive game of the series, which is something OKC needs from him if they want to retain their NBA title.

Jared McCain: B+

Game Stats: 20 PTS, 3 REB, 2 TOV, 7-19 FG, 3-9 3P, 3-5 FT, 33 MIN

Jared McCain keeps adding salt to the wounds of recently-fired Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey, who traded McCain to the Thunder out of the blue at the trade deadline. McCain had yet another 20-point performance in this series, being promoted to the starting lineup in light of injuries to Williams and Mitchell. While McCain’s shooting green light leads to inefficient performances, the Thunder needed a fearless scorer like him to complement Gilgeous-Alexander, especially with the absence of other leading options.

Cason Wallace: B

Game Stats: 7 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3P, 2-2 FT, 31 MIN

Cason Wallace is establishing himself as potentially one of the best guard defenders in the NBA while coming off the bench. Wallace was one of the main reasons why De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper had completely flat games, with his incredible on-ball pressure not allowing them to get comfortable on the court. If he keeps being this productive, the Thunder might need to consider starting him in the backcourt and moving McCain back to a better-suited sixth man role.

Kenrich Williams: B

Game Stats: 8 PTS, 3 REB, 3-3 FG, 2-2 3P, 12 MIN

Kenrich Williams hasn’t been a rotational contributor for the Thunder this postseason, but played competitive minutes tonight, going perfect from the floor in a 12-minute cameo. He did struggle maintaining the defensive pressure some of his teammates were providing in their minutes, but his efficient scoring on the night was a great plus for the Thunder to have.

Luguentz Dort: C

Game Stats: 7 PTS, 4 REB, 3-7 FG, 1-4 3P, 18 MIN

Lu Dort’s viability in this series depends on his making a tangible difference as a shooter. He hasn’t done that so far, with his defensive production not as consistent as what we’ve come to expect. Players like Caruso and Wallace are playing well in a similar role, so Dort needs to be a more productive offensive contributor to be deserving of key minutes.

Jaylin Williams: C

Game Stats: 3 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1-3 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 0-2 FT, 17 MIN

Jaylin Williams couldn’t make much of an impact as a big man in this clash because the Thunder didn’t want to break up the productive Hartenstein-Holmgren combo, especially when Wembanyama was on the court. As a result, Williams’ minutes didn’t lead to anything dramatic like the five three-pointers he made in their Game 3 win.