Thunder battle – Oklahoma City surged back from a 15-point deficit to take a 43-42 lead with 6:49 left in the first half, with Jalen Williams sidelined and De’Aaron Fox returning for the Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
San Antonio didn’t just set the tone early in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals—it seized it.
The Spurs opened with a 10-0 run. building a 10-point advantage with 10:10 left in the first quarter at Frost Bank Center before the Thunder called a quick timeout. Victor Wembanyama was already in the mix. posting 7 points on two 3-pointers. along with 2 rebounds. 3 assists. 1 steal. and 1 block in the first 9 minutes. but he also picked up his second personal foul just before the quarter ended.
A few minutes later, Oklahoma City answered with a different kind of aggression. The Thunder were down 15-0 to start Game 3 before Jaylin Williams’ back-to-back triples pulled them within 24-19 with 3:02 left in the first quarter. Through the opening frame. De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each had 6 points for San Antonio. while Wembanyama finished the period with 3 points. 2 rebounds. 2 assists. and 1 block.
As the first quarter closed, the Spurs held a 31-26 lead heading into the second quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting with 3 assists. but Alex Caruso (5 points. 1 steal. 1 block) and Jaylin Williams (8 points. including 2 3-pointers. plus 3 rebounds) helped keep OKC within reach through 12 minutes.
Then came the swing that has defined the game so far: Oklahoma City’s rally.
By 6:49 remaining before halftime, the Thunder had taken a 43-42 lead after an 8-0 OKC run. Game 3 has already featured seven lead changes and two ties. setting up a high-intensity back-and-forth that has both teams fighting for the same goal—moving toward a 2-1 advantage in a best-of-7 series tied 1-1.
Gilgeous-Alexander. who scored 24 points with 12 assists and 5 steals in Game 1. has begun to take over more directly in this one as well. bringing his tally up to 5 points (2-for-6 shooting) with 6 assists while OKC stays on the front foot. Jaylin Williams is pacing the Thunder with 11 points, 3 made 3-pointers, and 2 steals off the bench.
San Antonio, meanwhile, has leaned on Fox’s return. Fox matched Jaylin Williams with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting, powering the Spurs as the lead changed hands again. De’Aaron Fox is making his Western Conference Finals debut after missing Games 1 and 2 with an ankle injury. and the Spurs’ roster shakeup has reshaped early matchups: Dylan Harper. listed as questionable before the game due to an adductor injury. is available after being forced out of Game 2’s loss on Wednesday.
The injury situation is central to what’s on the line tonight. Jalen Williams is out for the Thunder with a hamstring injury, and he will miss his seventh full postseason contest. With Williams sidelined. Ajay Mitchell has slid back into OKC’s starting unit. a role he’s played throughout the postseason in just his second season. The minutes vacated by “J-Dub” are expected to be absorbed by Alex Caruso. Jared McCain. and Cason Wallace—fresh off being named a Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.
For San Antonio, the question is whether Fox can stabilize an offense that has turned the ball over 44 times through two outings. Off the bench, rookie sensation Dylan Harper is expected to provide lift once he’s fully integrated, adding his size and athleticism to the Spurs’ rotation.
Both teams have also arrived with history from the first two games. Victor Wembanyama posted a historic Game 1 with 41 points (14-for-25 FG). 24 rebounds. and 3 blocks. then followed it in Game 2 with 21 points (8-for-16 FG. 3 made 3-pointers). 17 rebounds. 6 assists. and 4 swats. Gilgeous-Alexander’s own production shifted just as quickly—after a 24-point. 12-assist Game 1. he delivered 30 points and 9 dimes on 12-for-24 shooting in Game 2.
The series itself is still wide open. The team that wins Game 3 of a best-of-7 series tied at 1-1 goes on to win the series 73.2% of the time—an edge that makes every early run feel heavier than it would in any other circumstance.
At 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. the Spurs are playing at home again with the chance to pull ahead in the series. while the Thunder are trying to reassert the momentum they’ve fought for tonight. Game 3 has already produced the kind of swings that don’t let anyone settle—exactly the sort of fight that’s turned this Western Conference Finals into something fans talk about by the minute.
Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals Game 3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Victor Wembanyama De'Aaron Fox Jalen Williams injury Dylan Harper Frost Bank Center