The OKC Thunder Must Keep Home-Court Advantage With A Game 5 Win

Home court has benefited the Thunder this postseason, and it must continue with a win on Tuesday night in the Paycom Center.

May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) reacts to a play during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Game 5 could easily be the bout that decides the series for the Thunder. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are heading back to OKC, as they prepare for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. The series is all tied up at 2-2, as each team was able to take one game at home and one on the road. Now, with just three games remaining, and two of them in Oklahoma City, the Thunder will need to capitalize on their home-court advantage. 

Oklahoma City has been dominant at home, as they only lost eight games in Paycom Center during the regular season, and have only lost one game there during the postseason. During the six postseason games played at home, the Thunder have a net rating of +14.3, cementing their home court as one of the hardest places to play in the league. 

Now, as the Thunder face their most intense predicament of the year, OKC performing well at home could be the very thing to save its season. 

No team had been able to best the Thunder in the postseason, and now in the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs have twice, which includes one game in Paycom Center. This 122-115 loss in Game 1 was a thriller with the Thunder falling in double overtime. They then gave the Spurs a dose of reality, winning Game 2 at Paycom Center 122-113 in dominating fashion. 

This once again proves that OKC is able to get the job done, even against the Spurs, and will now need to ride the advantage for the rest of the series. Winning both games at home automatically lands the Thunder their ticket to the NBA Finals, and it also doesn’t allow the Spurs to take advantage of the series on their own home court. 

San Antonio is also known for playing well at home, as it has only lost eight games during the regular season when playing in Frost Bank Center. If OKC drops Game 5 in Oklahoma City, it sets up the Spurs to finish the series off in its own house, which is something the Thunder can not afford to take a gamble on. 

Here are the Spurs-Thunder Game 5 shirts: pic.twitter.com/obLRZE3fiW

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 25, 2026

All of the Paycom Center will be white out with playoff shirts and rooting for the Thunder to pull through, and if OKC is able to grab Game 5, there is a good chance that the Thunder will be fighting for another championship very soon.