Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Overcomes Rough Start to Help OKC Thunder to 3-2 Lead

The Thunder's MVP delivered in the biggest game of the season thus far.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s MVP showed up when it mattered most to help the Thunder take a pivotal Game 5.

On Tuesday night, the Thunder regained control of the Western Conference Finals with a 127-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs to take a 3-2 lead. After dropping Game 4 with the offense looking stagnant, the Thunder responded with a much sharper performance on that end back on their home floor.

Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his fingerprints all over the Thunder’s big win. However, it didn’t look so promising in the opening minutes.

To begin the game, Gilgeous-Alexander turned the ball over three times in the first quarter before getting his first points of the night at the foul line. Still, the MVP had already added a couple of assists and steals to his stat sheet in that span, so his impact was still there despite his slow scoring start.

Upon returning in the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander started to find a groove, nailing three of his five shots and getting to the line for another six free throws. In such a physical series against an elite defense, Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get to the line was a crucial piece of the Thunder’s win in Game 5.

After struggling to find a rhythm early, finding some easy points at the free-throw line helped him get going a bit, even if the MVP still wouldn’t characterize his 7-of-19 performance as a good game. Despite missing all but one of his field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, his layup with just under three minutes to go extended the Thunder lead back to 14 and effectively ended any hopes the Spurs had at a late rally.

Finishing the night with a series-high 32 points to go with nine assists, Gilgeous-Alexander was the offensive engine for the Thunder, even if his six turnovers made things a bit ugly at times. As the Thunder continue to navigate their offensive attack without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander will need to continue performing at this level and perhaps reach a level he hasn’t been able to up to this point against San Antonio.

Still, the Thunder took care of business at home behind a big night from their MVP and now have a chance to clinch their spot in the NBA Finals as they head back to San Antonio for Game 6. It was far from a perfect game for Gilgeous-Alexander, but he helped his team to another win in a big spot, as he’s done throughout his career.