Thunder use balanced attack to win Game 5, take series lead - ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY — Back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander committed three turnovers and missed his first four shots from the floor, getting off to what he described as one of the worst starts of his career in Tuesday's pivotal Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

Unlike the previous two games, however, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't have a double-digit early deficit they had to attempt to dig out of against the San Antonio Spurs. In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander's first bucket, a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with 31.2 seconds remaining in the first quarter, tied the score.

From that point, Gilgeous-Alexander steadied himself and the Thunder continued to get significant contributions throughout the rotation, cruising to a 127-114 win at the Paycom Center to regain the series lead.

«I always say we're a team out there,» said Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 32 points and nine assists but was only 7-of-19 from the floor and committed six turnovers. «We don't get this far, I don't have this individual success, this team doesn't have the success without all 15 guys in the locker room. We proved it tonight.

»If it was four or five me's out there, we would've been down 20 after the first quarter. But the guys were great to start the game. I probably should never start like that again and give us a better chance to win a ballgame, but the guys held it down."

Third-team All-NBA power forward Chet Holmgren had his most impactful performance of the series, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Holmgren's early production was especially important while Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a slow start. Half of Holmgren's points came in the first quarter, when he went 4-of-4 from the floor.

Guard Jared McCain, making the first