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[Post Game Thread] The Oklahoma City Thunder (3-2) defeat the San Antonio Spurs (2-3) in a pivotal Game 5, 124-110, behind SGA’s 32 points, along with a combined 42 points from Caruso and McCain.

Daily Discussion Thread + Game Thread Index | Playoffs

[Highlight] Mitch Johnson picks up a tech after official fails to recognize his challenge

[Highlight] Mitch Johnson asks for a coach’s challenge right in front of the referee James Capers, but he doesn’t call it. Instead, he receives a technical foul.

The Spurs would have won the challenge, as the refs gave the ball to the Thunder after it went out of bounds off Chet Holmgren.

Stephon Castle on the OKC defense: “I’m trying to play through it, it’s tough. The way they guard, how physical they are we don’t get that same luxury to play as physical on the other end.”

[Amick] Victor Wembanyama, who struggled mightily in the Spurs’ Game 5 loss in OKC tonight, declined to do media this evening. He just left Paycom Center as midnight central time nears.

Anybody feels like this WCF is solely dependent on the way Refs decide to ref a certain game?

Victor Wembanyama bumps into Chet Holmgren while going to the Spurs’ bench after a timeout call.

Tony Brothers with a refereeing masterclass in the first half: 39 combined freethrows for both teams and 25 personal fouls called

Spurs fans in Oklahoma dressed up like the Salesian Sisters in Game 5

[Highlight] Mason Plumlee sees Jared McCain and decides to wipe him out with an elbow to the back

Mason Plumlee after trucking Jared McCain in the back, “I got another one for you too.”

[Duncan] “The referees were correct in denying Mitch Johnson that challenge. The rule is very specific: he needs to first call timeout, then challenge. He never signaled for the timeout before signaling for the challenge.”

I don’t care if you’re a Thunder fan or Spurs fan

[Highlight] Tony Brothers and Lu Dort flirting

No team has beaten OKC back-to-back in the playoffs since Mavericks in 2023-2024. Spurs have to be the first since in order to avoid elimination… OKC is 9-0 following a loss

[Highlight] Cason Wallace soars up high and somehow blocks the tip in attempt by Luke Kornet at the basket (with replays). Kornet wants a goaltending.

Kornet is called for the foul.

[Bontemps] While ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote about the “secret” room, sources expect the lottery itself – not just airing of the results – to become a live, televised event. No more conspiracy theories. All of it happening in real time. The potential for tremendous theater.

[Krawczynski] DiVincenzo is trying to follow Tatum’s lead. He flew to New York for surgery less than 24 hours after suffering the injury, following a similar timeline that Tatum went through… Several within the Timberwolves organization believe DiVincenzo could return at some point next season.

SGA arrives for game 5 as Stephon Castle roams

Victor Wembanyama checks out in the Loss against the Thunder: 20 PTS | ⁴⁄₁₅ FGS | 0/5 3PTS | ¹²⁄₁₂ FTS | 7 REBS | 2 STLS | 3 BLKS

[Charania] Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla has won the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year award.

[Highlight] Mason Plumlee hits Jared McCain hard in the back, in garbage time (with replays). Isaiah Hartenstein having some words with him and then with Bismack Biyombo, who stepped up for his teammate as well.

[Vorkunov] The Jazz are the only team that earned top-5 picks in each of the last two lotteries, but the Memphis Grizzlies own Utah’s 2027 first-round pick as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade … Under the new rules, the Grizzlies’ return in the trade would be capped at the No. 6 pick next season

Lowlight Request - 2026 WCF Finals Game 5 - Tony Brothers

[Haberstroh] Over the long weekend, SGA fell on more shot attempts than Brunson/Mitchell/Harden/Wemby combined… the math suggests that an SGA fall is worth an additional 0.9 expected points per fall… From an efficiency perspective, it’s hard to blame SGA. He’s leveraging the rulebook.

[Amick] “On one of the game’s biggest stages, and with so many questions looming about why the Thunder were able to stop his superpowers when it mattered most, Wembanyama’s choice to stay silent after such a lackluster performance is sure to spark all sorts of criticism.”

[Highlight] A hyped up Keldon Johnson gets Chet out the way for the dunk

Victor Wembanyama had a box plus-minus of -8 in the loss against the Thunder. This is the first time he had a negative box plus-minus since Mar 1st where he was a -15 in a loss against the Knicks.

[Anderson] “I speak from experience,” (Becky) Hammon said Tuesday. “Allen Iverson got MVP and he lost in the finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I’m up for being proven wrong… “I said what I said. If he (Jalen Brunson) proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”

[Highlight] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives through all the Spurs defense, all 5 players, and scores the layup on Victor Wembanyama (with replays).

[Injury] Alex Caruso rolls his ankle and heads back to the locker room

Alex Caruso delivers again in the win: 22/2/6/3 on 81.4% TS

SGA & Wemby highlight their MVP cases with a free throw contest in the 1st half of Game 5, going a combined ⁶⁄₁₆ from the field and ¹⁷⁄₁₇ from the line.

[Highlight] Jared McCain sinks the circus shot as DeAaron Fox holds him

[Highlights] All the 9 fouls that were drawn by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 5 vs. San Antonio Spurs - Western Conference Finals - 2026 NBA Playoffs. With replays, when they were available. Including the technical free throw. He went ¹⁶⁄₁₇ (94.1%) from the line

[Highlights] Victor Wembanyama whispers something to Mason Plumlee & Bismack Biyombo, they get subbed in, in garbage time, and they both pick hard fouls on Jared McCain, as well as one foul on Alex Caruso (with replays of the fouls on McCain). Hartenstein having words with Biyombo

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2-year-old son, Ares Alexander, postgame interview.

Also, footage of SGA playing with his kid after Game 5 tonight.

[Highlights] Isaiah Hartenstein full highlights vs. San Antonio Spurs tonight (127-114 W) - Game 5 - Western Conference Finals - 2026 NBA Playoffs:

12 Points on ⁶⁄₈ FG (75.0%), 15 Rebounds (6 Off. Rebs), 4 Assists (3 TOV), 1 Block, 4 PF, and a +/- of +24 (2nd best in game) in 30:38 minutes played.

Jalen Williams (Hamstring) Out For Game 5

[Highlight] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander puts Victor Wembanyama on skates and hits the jumper (with a replay)

[Highlight] Stephon Castle fouls Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and SGA scores OKC’s 19th and 20th free throw of the 1st half (²⁰⁄₂₀).

MVP voting in the NBA has become a masterclass in groupthink: It has now been twenty years since the second place finisher even got half of the first place votes of the MVP winner

The block from biyambo thats being called a hard foul

All 4 Eastern Conference playoff series that didn’t involve the Knicks went to Game 7.

[Highlight] Victor Wembanyama receives ‘Flopper’ chants from the Thunder crowd

Alex Caruso now holds the all-time NBA record for the most three-pointers made off the bench in a single Conference Finals

[Vardon] The Cavaliers plan to retain coach Kenny Atkinson even after the team was swept Monday night by the New York Knicks, two league sources told The Athletic.

[Highlights] Jared McCain full highlights vs. San Antonio Spurs tonight (127-114 W) - Game 5 - Western Conference Finals - 2026 NBA Playoffs:

20 Points on ⁷⁄₁₉ FG (36.8%), ³⁄₉ from 3, ³⁄₅ FT, 3 Rebounds, and a +/- of +1 in 33:27 minutes played as a starter.

[Highlights] Cason Wallace full highlights vs. San Antonio Spurs tonight (127-114 W) - Game 5 - Western Conference Finals - 2026 NBA Playoffs: 7 Points on ²⁄₅ FG, ¹⁄₃ from 3, ²⁄₂ FT, 4 Rebounds (1 Off. Reb), 5 Assists (ZERO turnovers), 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 2 PF, +/- of +29 (game high) in 31:19 MP