OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, Alex Caruso added 22 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one victory of a return trip to the NBA Finals by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Tuesday night.

Game 5 of the Western Conference finals at Paycom Center drew 18,203 fans, who watched the defending champion Thunder seize a 3-2 series lead. Oklahoma City, which posted a regular-season record of 75-20, can close out the series on Thursday in San Antonio. The Spurs finished the regular season at 72-27.

The Thunder wasted little time establishing control, scoring 29 points in the first quarter and then erupting for 40 in the second to take a 69-58 halftime lead. San Antonio, which entered averaging 114.6 points per game in the series, managed just 27 points in the opening period and 31 in the second.

Oklahoma City’s second-quarter blitz was fueled by its bench. Caruso scored 13 points in the period, including a 25-foot 3-pointer with 1:48 left that pushed the lead to 61-58. He later added two free throws, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sank a step-back jumper with 23 seconds remaining to make it 69-58. The Thunder shot 13 of 21 from the field in the quarter and forced five San Antonio turnovers.

The Spurs tried to climb back in the third quarter. Keldon Johnson scored 10 points in the period, and Victor Wembanyama added six points, including an alley-oop layup and a free throw after an and-one opportunity. But Oklahoma City always had an answer. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 26-foot step-back 3-pointer with 9:56 left in the third to make it 76-69, and the lead ballooned to 80-69 when Jared McCain scored on a step-back jumper.

McCain, making his first playoff start in place of the injured Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, finished with 20 points. The rookie guard played 31 minutes and scored 10 points in the third quarter alone, including a 27-foot 3-pointer that extended the lead to 85-76.

San Antonio kept fighting. Julian Champagnie led the Spurs with 22 points and eight rebounds, hitting four 3-pointers. Stephon Castle, the top overall pick in the 2025 draft, added 24 points, five rebounds and six assists. Wembanyama posted 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks. De’Aaron Fox struggled from the field but finished with nine points and eight assists.

But the Thunder’s depth proved decisive. Isaiah Hartenstein dominated the paint with 12 points and 15 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Chet Holmgren recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Cason Wallace had seven points, four rebounds and five assists while playing strong defense.

The key sequence arrived late in the third quarter. With the Spurs trailing 87-85 after a 3-pointer by Johnson, the Thunder responded with a 14-4 run. Caruso hit a 26-foot 3-pointer from the left wing with 5:07 left in the period, and after a San Antonio miss, Kenrich Williams buried a 27-foot 3-pointer at the 3:44 mark to make it 93-87. The lead reached 101-96 by the end of the third quarter after Gilgeous-Alexander made four free throws in the final 21.5 seconds.

San Antonio cut the deficit to 115-113 with 4:29 left in the fourth quarter after Johnson tipped in his own miss. But the Thunder answered with a 12-1 run. McCain hit a 26-foot 3-pointer with 3:42 remaining to push the lead to 118-113. Gilgeous-Alexander then drove for a layup with 2:34 left to make it 120-114. Caruso sealed the victory with two free throws with 2:05 remaining.

The Spurs shot 41.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. The Thunder shot 46.8 percent overall and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City held a 53-44 rebounding advantage and outscored San Antonio 36-26 in the paint during the second half.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama blocked three shots and altered several others, but the Thunder’s shooting from the perimeter and offensive rebounding proved too much. Hartenstein grabbed five offensive boards to help Oklahoma City score 17 second-chance points.

The game featured 11 lead changes and eight ties in the first half before the Thunder took control. Oklahoma City’s defense forced 18 San Antonio turnovers, turning them into 22 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who also had nine assists and two rebounds, continued his strong series. He scored 19 points in a Game 1 loss, then posted 26 and 30 in the next two wins before a 19-point outing in a Game 4 loss. His performance Tuesday included 10 of 12 from the free throw line.

The Spurs got a boost from Champagnie, who made 8 of 16 shots and grabbed eight rebounds. Castle shot 7 of 15 and added six assists. Johnson scored 15 points off the bench.

Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s reserves 44-28. The Thunder have now won three of the five games in the series, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Oklahoma City 121, San Antonio 104. The Thunder entered as a 5.5-point favorite with a 65.2 percent win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system. The total score of 241 went under the over/under line of 215.5.