Oklahoma City spent 82 games preparing for the uncomfortable and unexpected. Like the start of Game 3.
Uncomfortable like a physical Spurs defense forcing stops and steals, which became transition opportunities the other way. Unexpected, like the best stretch of ball movement the Spurs have had in the series. Then there was the expected, like a hyped Victor Wembanyama putting on a show.
In the blink of an eye, it was 15-0 San Antonio and the crowd was roaring.
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Oklahoma City had prepared to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, to not lose its poise in the face of the unexpected. But more than that, the Thunder had prepared to use and trust their depth.
That preparation paid off, and on a Friday night in San Antonio showed the stark differences in the benches of these two teams — and why that depth has OKC up 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
In the wake of the early Spurs onslaught, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault turned to a lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and four bench players — a pairing he rarely used during the season but one he trusted in a key moment in the playoffs.
“We’re actually not a team that wants to find rotational stability in the regular season. We’re trying to create variability, because that gives us some learnings and creates options for us,” Daigneault said late in the regular season about his use of unconventional lineups. “It also puts guys in situations where they have to adapt to who they’re on the floor with, which we think is good for their development as players and for the playoffs.”
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Spurs coach Mitch Johnson doesn’t have the luxury of that depth, which has become an increasing issue in this series — especially when he has to rest Wembanyama.
Those two things came together on Friday night in San Antonio — Daigneault leaned into an unconventional lineups at the same time Wemby sat for his usual first rest of the game. The result was a 13-2 Thunder run, and it was suddenly the Spurs’ fast lead and momentum had disappeared.
Daigneault trusted mid-season acquisition — Philadelphia fans would say “gift” — Jared McCain in those moments, and he went off for 24 points.
“We talk about it a lot, in practice and throughout the whole playoffs: Be ready and stay ready,” McCain said, via the Associated Press. “Coaches have done a great job of that. … We all are hoopers and we all know what to do out there, especially this team. It’s a very mature team.”
The Depth Difference
The depth difference between these two teams was not new to Game 3 — Oklahoma City’s bench had outscored the San Antonio bench by 66 through the first two games.
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That was nothing compared to Game 3 — Oklahoma City got 76 points from its bench, 53 more than the Spurs. Jaylin Williams hit five 3-pointers on the way to a career playoff high of 18 points. Alex Caruso had 15 points with four 3-pointers, plus his usual disruptive defensive plays.
On the flip side, this stat: San Antonio is +21 in 125 minutes with Wembanyama on the court, and -38 in the 29 minutes he is off the court.
But it’s not just Wemby that Johnson has had to lean so hard into, he is playing all his starters heavy minutes because he doesn’t fully trust his bench. Gilgeous-Alexander has played the most minutes in this series (126), but the next four players on the list are all Spurs starters (Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie and Wembanyama), and Harper would have been on that list if Fox had not returned for Game 3 and played 31 minutes.
The Thunder’s disruptive defense has thrown San Antonio’s offense off its axis — Wembanyama is making plays, but after that the offense has been disconnected. While Johnson is searching for answers, he simply has fewer pieces on the chessboard. Experience matters in these moments, and the Spurs are gaining that experience the hard way over the last two games.
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The Thunder have been gaining experience for these unexpected moments all season long. That’s why they lead the series 2-1.
