The Oklahoma City Thunder look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead as the San Antonio Spurs hope to find the fight they had in series-opener.

Catch the game tomorrow, May 25th, Monday, at 8:00 AM, Manila time.

AWAY: Oklahoma City Thunder (2-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Luguentz Dort
  • Jalen Williams (questionable) / Ajay Mitchell
  • Chet Holmgren
  • Isaiah Hartenstein

Oklahoma City showed exactly why it has been one of the league’s steadiest teams over the last two seasons. After a sluggish start in Game 3, the Thunder never panicked, gradually took control, and closed out a convincing 123-108 road victory to reclaim home-court advantage and a 2-1 series lead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t particularly efficient, shooting just 6-of-17 from the field, but he still controlled the game with 26 points and 12 assists. That ability to dominate without even playing his best basketball speaks volumes about his poise and overall impact. More importantly, OKC’s depth completely overwhelmed San Antonio.

The Thunder bench exploded for a Conference Finals-record 76 points, led by Jared McCain’s 24. Wave after wave of contributors kept pressure on the Spurs defensively, and the scary part for opponents is that OKC is doing all of this without their No. 2 guy: Jalen Williams. The Thunder once again look like the polished, connected machine that stormed through the regular season and first two playoff rounds.

HOME: San Antonio Spurs (1-2)

Projected Starting Five:

  • De’Aaron Fox (day-to-day)
  • Stephon Castle
  • Devin Vassell
  • Julian Champagnie
  • Victor Wembanyama 

San Antonio came out firing in Game 3 but simply could not sustain that energy for four quarters. The Spurs faded as the Thunder settled in, and now they face enormous pressure heading into Game 4.

Victor Wembanyama was far from terrible, but against a team as deep and disciplined as the Thunder, “okay” isn’t enough. The Spurs need their superstar to consistently bend the game the way he did in Game 1, especially with the offense becoming increasingly unstable around him.

Stephon Castle remains one of the biggest storylines. After committing 20 turnovers combined in Games 1 and 2, he at least cleaned that up in Game 3 with just one giveaway. The problem was everything else. Castle shot only 1-of-8 from the field and struggled badly to create efficient offense. San Antonio needs far more from him if it wants to keep pace.

The supporting cast must also rise to the occasion, particularly with De’Aaron Fox still dealing with a knee injury and potentially unavailable again. Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and the rest of the rotation have to provide consistent shot-making and energy.

For the Spurs, the urgency could not be clearer. Lose Game 4, and heading back to OKC down 3-1 would make this series feel all but over.

PICKS

Spread: Spurs (-2.5)
Over/Under: Over (219)