nba

Daily Discussion Thread + Game Thread Index | Playoffs

Breaking: 25 year old Yam Madar, who was drafted by the Celtics in 2020, has agreed to a deal with LSU to play for their College Basketball Team for a reported package of 5 million dollars per season.

[Highlight] Jared McCain bodies Victor Wembanyama, Wembanyama’s head snaps back as if he were elbowed in the face

A Spurs fan is dressed up as the SGA bubble wrap for tonight’s game.

[Scotto] Jared McCain on Daryl Morey trading him: “It’s never to prove anybody wrong. I try to keep a positive outlook. I like proving my support system right. Daryl’s still the guy that drafted me, so I’ll always have love for him for that. He believed in me enough to take me at No. 16.”

[Post Game Thread] The Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1) regain homecourt advantage by defeating the San Antonio Spurs (1-2) in Game 3, 123-108, behind SGA’s 26 points and 12 assists, along with Jared McCain’s 24 points.

Spurs have 4 players at 115+ minutes this series (Wemby, Castle, Vassell, Champagnie). Thunder have just 1 (SGA). Their 2nd-highest is Chet at 96 minutes, followed by Caruso/Wallace at just 81.

Jared “sold high” McCain in game 3 of the Western Conference Finals: 24 points, ¹⁰⁄₂₁ FG, +28

[Highlight] Replays of Jared McCain shrugging off Wemby for the finish and the flex

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 11 assists with only 2.2 turnovers per game in the WCF is very impressive considering the smothering coverage he is getting

[Highlight] Tempers flare in San Antonio

[Highlight] Isaiah Joe fakes the assistant coaches into thinking he was gonna run down the court

[Highlight] Wembanyama draws the foul on Isaiah Hartenstein

PSA: “Despite the loss” means the player played well on the team that lost the game. Stop using it for players who played badly.

[Charania] San Antonio Spurs guards De’Aaron Fox (ankle) and Dylan Harper (adductor) are both cleared to play in Game 3 tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell ESPN.

[Injury] De’Aaron Fox leaves the court in pain after contact going for loose ball with Lu Dort

[Highlight] Victor Wembanyama hits the step back on Isaiah Hartenstein (with a replay)

[Highlight] Post game interview with Jared McCain, and NBC closes the broadcast showing Thunderstorms fittingly brewing in the San Antonio sky

All Defense 1st Team: Wemby - Chet - Ausar - Gobert - White 2nd Team: Barnes - Wallace - Adebayo - OG - Daniels

Alex Caruso with another masterclass off the bench tonight: 15 points on 4-7 shooting (3-5 from 3), game high +28

[Highlight] Jay Williams says he can’t root for the Thunder because of the foul baiting: “As a fan of the game, I just want to see the game respected. There are times where I watch OKC play, I don’t feel like they respect the process of the game.”

Jared McCain off the bench against the Spurs: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, +28, 27 MIN

[Duncan] OKC used 29 separate lineups in non-garbage time in Game 3

[Highlight] Mitch Johnson on Shai’s free throws: We were undisciplined. He got us off the floor and took advantage of it. I can remember a few in my head that were defensive fouls

The Oklahoma City Thunder scored a franchise record 76 points off the bench in the Game 3 victory vs San Antonio

(ALL NBA) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is creating 1.22 points per direct touch when doubled this postseason, tied for second most in the tracking era. (min 175 doubles faced)

[Scotto] God Shammgod has agreed to join the New Orleans Pelicans as an assistant coach on the front of the bench for head coach Jamahl Mosley, league sources told @hoopshypeofficial. Shammgod was an assistant coach with Mosley for the Magic and with Rick Carlisle and Jason Kidd on the Mavericks.

[Yahoo] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has fallen to the ground on 17.4% of his FGAs in his playoff run, leading the league and almost four times the rate of the Wembanyama(4.2%)

[Highlight] De’Aaron Fox fouls Chet Holmgren and shoves him after the whistle

OKC is shooting 49.4% on wide open threes in 3 games against the Spurs this series. They’ve been wide open for 77 of their 119 attempts from three, per NBA tracking.

Between this and last years playoffs, following a loss the Thunder are a perfect 8-0 in bounce back games. And they are +126 in these games (+15.75 differential)

[Scotto] The Sacramento Kings are enamored with Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr., according to league sources.

[Highlight] SGA on Spurs fans chanting Flopper “ I like it”. Post game interview

Yahoo Sports: Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander really fall more than his peers?

[Highlight] The Oklahoma City Thunder take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals with a 123-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

[Osborn] Spurs’ Champagnie on how they need to protect Wembanyama: “Hit back. Honestly, hit back.”

[Highlight] The Spurs run a double at SGA, who snaps it to Caruso flashing in the paint. Caruso immediately redirects it to Jaylin Williams in the corner for his fourth 3 pointer of the half

Jared “Iceman” McCain since Drake released latest studio album: 15.3 +- 14.3 PTS 4 REB 1.7 AST

[Lorenzi] Nestled inside Jared McCain’s travel bag is a relatively new copy of W. Timothy Gallwey’s “The Inner Game of Tennis.” The old copy McCain bought in high school unraveled last year… McCain has long memorized this passage, but he returns to the excerpt every game anyway

Bol Bol, who signed overseas this season in the Philippines, suffered a torn Achilles.

Bol was hoping to earn another NBA opportunity in 2026-27, after most recently playing for the Suns, but now might never make it back. (Loud Music in the first clip, so watch it)

Jared McCain not being fully integrated into Thunders highly drilled system is becoming their X-Factor. His Game 3 was the 1st time an OKC bench player has taken 20+FGA in the past 3 playoffs. There’s only been 4 instances of one taking 12+FGA and McCain has 2 of them this series.

At Half Time, The OKC Bench outscored the OKC Starters 38-19.

Jaylin Williams in a Game 3 win without Jalen Williams: 18/5/1 off the bench | 2 steals | ⁵⁄₆ from 3

Stephon Castle checks out for the game: 14 points on ¹⁄₈ FG and ¹¹⁄₁₄ from the free throw line

The OKC Bench scoring 76 points against the Spurs is tied for 5th All-time bench points in an NBA Playoff Game ever.

[Highlight] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tries and banks in the lefty runner on Castle while switching hands in mid-air

[Uthayakumar] OKC’s bench outscored the Spurs bench by 53 points tonight (76-23), the largest bench differential in a Conference Finals game in NBA playoff history.

[Highlight] Victor Wembanyama BLOCKS the floater attempt by Isaiah Hartenstein

[Highlight] Spurs double SGA at midcourt and Shai lofts the skip pass over to Cason Wallace for the three pointer