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Social Media Reacts to OKC Thunder Trouncing Spurs in Game 3

How social media reacted to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
Derek Parker|
May 22, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in the second half during game three of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
May 22, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in the second half during game three of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs faced off in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals Friday night, showing off yet another high-level, talent-laden game.

After an exceptionally slow start, the Thunder would roar back for a double-digit win, stealing back home-court advantage in the process.

Here's how social media reacted to Game 3:

The Thunder saw one of its worst starts ever, immediately going down 15-0 behind a combination of poor offense and defense. San Antonio made nearly everything, with OKC starting 0-for-6 behind bad shot quality. 

Oklahoma City quickly whittled itself back into the game, led by its bench unit. Jaylin Williams specifically would do most of the work, battling on the boards while adding back-to-back triples for a self-called 6-0 run to put his squad within five. At the end of the first frame, San Antonio would hold a five-point lead, a major win for OKC after its start.

Much as he’s done all postseason, second-year guard Jared McCain offered an offensive infusion off the bench, immediately hitting several buckets. He started 3-for-6, including an especially notable step-back mid-range shot over Victor Wembanyama.

After the slowest start in franchise postseason history, the Thunder continued their run deep into the second frame, led by two-way play. They forced San Antonio into less desirable shots, and hit their own.

The middle of the third quarter was highlighted by none other than free throws, when San Antonio’s Stephon Castle went to the line four-straight times to bite into the OKC lead. Heading into the final frame, the teams combined for 55 free throws in total.

In keeping with his breakout postseason, McCain would then see one of the plays of the night, putting a shoulder into Wembanyama on the drive and going up for the score.

The Thunder's backup big in Jaylin Williams saw one of the more consequential plays of the fourth quarter, issuing a back-breaking four-point play as he was fouled on a 3-pointer. He then capped the play off by hitting the free throw, totaling 18 points on 5-for-5 3-point shooting to that point in the game. His shot would give OKC a 15-point lead.

The story of the game as a whole has been Oklahoma City's bench, led by both McCain and Williams. They've kept the Thunder afloat offensively all night, with San Antonio's own bench not offering much in the way of production.

As most teams have, the Spurs continued to show aggressive coverages to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he responded with plenty of play-making poise in Game 3. He had 26 points on 17 shots, but added 12 assists to just two turnovers in trusting his teammates to capitalize.

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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek Parker covers the National Basketball Association and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020 and has experience working in print, video, and radio.

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