Thunder
McCain's six threes and a 31-16 second quarter carry Thunder past Spurs 116-104
Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 116-104 at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday, pulling away with a 31-16 second quarter and leading by as many as 26. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 and Jared McCain added 20 off the bench on 6-of-8 from three. The Thunder open 1-0 and sit first in the West; the Spurs fall to 0-1.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 16 h ago01The story of the nightThe second quarter decided itThe first quarter was close.
The first quarter was close. Oklahoma City led 34-28 after 12 minutes in a game that saw five lead changes, and San Antonio's biggest lead was only 3. Then the Spurs' offense stalled. They scored 16 points in the second quarter while the Thunder put up 31, and a six-point edge became 65-44 at halftime. San Antonio answered with a 36-point third, its best stretch of the night, but still trailed 93-80 going into the fourth. Oklahoma City's lead reached 26 at its peak, and a 23-24 final quarter was enough to close it out. The Spurs shot 36-of-93 for the game, 38.7 percent, and that second-quarter drought was where the night got away from them.
02Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain carried the scoringShai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals…
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 36.1 minutes. Jared McCain was the swing piece off the bench: 20 points on 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-8 from three in 22.1 minutes, with a plus-20. Chet Holmgren had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, going 8-of-8 at the line. Alex Caruso chipped in 9 points and 6 rebounds at plus-16. For San Antonio, Stephon Castle scored 24 with 5-of-12 from three, Dylan Harper had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and De'Aaron Fox finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists on 6-of-9 shooting.
03Won at the three-point line and on the benchThe Thunder made 14 of 31 threes.
The Thunder made 14 of 31 threes. The Spurs made 10 of 37. That gap of 12 points covered the final margin by itself. Oklahoma City's reserves outscored San Antonio's 48-29, with McCain, Caruso and Aday Mara (7 points on 3-of-4) doing the damage. The Spurs actually won several categories: 48-42 in the paint, 31-12 on fast-break points, 22-of-25 at the line against 16-of-20, and 11 blocks to 10. But Oklahoma City grabbed 61 rebounds to 56, committed 11 turnovers to 13, and turned those extra possessions into enough shots to win. Both teams were cold overall. The Thunder shot 45.3 percent, and 95 attempts gave them room to miss.
04Wembanyama's rough shooting nightVictor Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks, but he went 1-of-13 from the field and 0-of-4…
Victor Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks, but he went 1-of-13 from the field and 0-of-4 from three. He got 10 of his points from 12 free-throw attempts and had 4 turnovers in 34.1 minutes. The Spurs played him for a minus-2, so the lineups around him held up, but San Antonio needed scoring from its center against a Thunder front line of Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Mara. Julian Champagnie's 30 minutes came with a minus-24, the worst mark on either side, and Keldon Johnson was a minus-12 in 19.6 minutes. Oklahoma City's 10 blocks tell the same story from the other end.
05What it meansOklahoma City is 1-0 and alone at the top of the West after one night.
Oklahoma City is 1-0 and alone at the top of the West after one night. The headline is the bench: 48 points, McCain's shooting and a plus-20, plus-16, plus-12 and plus-9 from four reserves. Gilgeous-Alexander did his part, and Holmgren and Jalen Williams both finished with 7 rebounds despite modest shooting. San Antonio is 0-1 and second in the West on the early sort. Castle, Harper and Fox combined for 56 points, which is a workable base, but 10-of-37 from three and a 16-point quarter are the numbers to fix. There is no prior meeting between these teams this season, so this is the first data point.
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