The Thunder's Frontcourt Showcased Its Dominance Once Again In Game 5

The Thunder were able to handle Victor Wembanyma and get the win, and it was because of the superb play of OKC's big men.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the third quarter 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

The Thunder’s big men left no doubt in Game 5. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder got the job done at home, as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, 127-114, to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. It was a dominant showing for the Thunder as they kept home-court advantage, and now are just one win away from going back to the Finals to defend their throne. 

There were significant performances all throughout, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropping 32 points, as well as Jared McCain going off in his first playoff start. However, what really tied the win together was the dominant play of Oklahoma City’s frontcourt. 

Both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein came ready to play Tuesday night, and their efforts ultimately helped OKC walk away with a win. Both ended the night with double-doubles, as Holmgren had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Hartenstein posted 12 points and 15 rebounds. 

Hartenstein, who, after Game 1 of the series, was deemed almost unplayable by most, has turned into OKC’s ultimate weapon in the conference finals. He has been giving Spurs star Victory Wembanyama a tough time in the paint, as the alien only had 20 points and six rebounds in Game 5. 

This effort to minimize Wembanyma’s ability to keep the Spurs in the game has become Hartenstein’s bread and butter, and you could argue has been the biggest piece to the Thunder’s success in this series. Now, with the Thunder just needing one more win in a possible two matchups remaining, Hartenstein will just have to hold down the paint once more for OKC to be able to move into the next round. 

Holmgren had also had a tough start to the series, as he couldn’t seem to get any production on the offensive side of the ball. Now, the All-NBA selection seems to have both found his stride and confidence at the perfect time. 

Holmgren has finally seemed to feel comfortable sharing the floor with Wembanyama and is starting to play his own game now. This will have to continue as the Spurs will now be trying harder than ever to shut the big man down to have a chance to come back in this series. 

At the start of the series, the narrative seemed to be asking how OKC would contain Wembanyama. Now, the Thunder frontcourt is showing that it is possible, and that they plan to continue to do so, to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.