The Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the host San Antonio Spurs 123-108 on Friday night, grabbing a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the comeback with 26 points and 12 assists.
>>> Nebraska Athletics Director Backs Matt Rhule, Urges Patience in Rebuild
The Thunder bench dominated San Antonio's reserves 76-23, with Alex Caruso scoring 15 points, Jared McCain adding 24, and Jaylin Williams chipping in 18.
Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams due to left hamstring soreness.
Spurs' First Postseason Series Deficit Since Wembanyama
The loss marks the first time San Antonio has trailed in a postseason series since drafting Victor Wembanyama.
The rookie center finished with 26 points in 39 minutes, but the Spurs were outscored by 19 points during his nine minutes on the bench.
"It's my first playoffs. It was the first playoffs for many of us," Wembanyama said.
"Of course, there was going to be hard trials. It is to be expected.
But now, we're going to see what we're made of."
Despite his scoring, the 22-year-old Frenchman expressed frustration with his overall performance, recording only four rebounds and three assists.
>>> Auckland FC Hosts Sydney FC in Historic A-League Grand Final
"I have trouble making my teammates better right now," Wembanyama said. "I should do better.
My shooting splits aren't terrible. I need to be more of a team player."
He outlined his goals for the remainder of the series: "Facilitate better, rebound the ball better.
