The defending champions punched back in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. After the Spurs took Game 1 in a dramatic double-overtime win, the Thunder put in exactly the performance they needed to even the series as it heads back to San Antonio.
Oklahoma City made several changes in Game 2 that made an immediate impact, leaning on their depth on offense and a fierce defensive performance from Isaiah Hartenstein on Victor Wembanyama to flip the script. While the Spurs made several runs and had the game within a single score even within the closing minutes, the Thunder had an answer for them every time, and held on for the win.
Game 3 is set for Friday night in San Antonio, where we’ll get the next chapter of what has already proven to be an epic series through two games. Here are three things we learned from Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
The Thunder’s bench depth gives them a significant edge over the Spurs
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault played 11 players in the first quarter alone, one more than San Antonio played in the entire game. Rotations normally tighten in the postseason, especially as the NBA Finals inch closer, but the Thunder’s depth makes them an exception from the norm. With how grueling their double-overtime loss in Game 1 was, both teams went to their respective bench early, but the Thunder’s reserves outdueled San Antonio’s throughout the night.
The Thunder outscored the Spurs 57–25 on bench points as Oklahoma City had four players hit double digits off the bench. Alex Caruso, coming off a big night in Game 1, scored 17 points and was 3-for-4 from three-point range. Cason Wallace (12 points) hit four triples and Jared McCain sank three and finished with 12 points. Daigneault leaned on his bench heavily coming out of the exhausting Game 1 loss, and it didn't help that Jalen Williams appeared to re-aggravate his hamstring injury in the first quarter.
Turn us up, 3️⃣! pic.twitter.com/4smDvYiXba
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2026
Ajay Mitchell stepped up in Oklahoma City’s second-round sweep of the Lakers, averaging 22.5 points per game for the series. His offensive opportunities took a hit with Williams’s return, as he scored just four points in 34 minutes in Game 1. However, Mitchell was productive off the Thunder bench in Game 2, scoring 10 points with four steals in 28 minutes. He had an injury of his own late in Wednesday’s win, but it didn't look serious.
Injuries could play a big role in this series
Both teams have dealt with injuries already through two games. The Spurs have been without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox in both contests due to an ankle injury. And on Wednesday night, they lost his replacement, Dylan Harper, midway through the third quarter. Harper hit the deck after a layup attempt and was seen limping to the locker room with what was deemed a right leg injury.
Meanwhile, Thunder forward Jalen Williams returned to the team’s lineup in Game 1 after missing three and a half weeks due to a left hamstring strain. He poured in 26 points in that game, but didn’t last long in Game 2, appearing to re-aggravate his hamstring injury in the first quarter. He received treatment near the team’s bench before heading to the locker room. Williams was a Third-Team All-NBA selection last season, but was limited to 33 games during the regular season due to injuries.
The series has been incredibly physical early on. As noted above, Oklahoma City is the deeper team and is well-positioned to survive if a key player goes down. San Antonio, meanwhile, needs its best players available if it wants a chance to beat the defending champions.
Isaiah Hartenstein may be the Thunder’s Wemby stopper … for now
Victor Wembanyama had what was likely the most dominant performance of his professional career in Game 1 of this series, with 41 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Spurs to victory in double overtime. Oklahoma City threw a variety of looks at him, with several players trading off defensive duties, to no avail. In Game 2, the Thunder committed to a new strategy of stopping Wemby—putting Isaiah Hartenstein on him and letting him play as physically as he possibly could.
SGA was able to get to his spot thanks to Wemby being moved around. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/XQljomF9Vp
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) May 21, 2026
From the first possessions of the game, Hartenstein was all up in Wemby’s business. He never let up. The result? Well, Wembanyama still finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, but it was clear that Hartenstein was frustrating the French superstar. Did Hartenstein commit fouls? Very much so. Did he commit more fouls than he was called for? Almost definitely. But it appeared the Thunder were down to embrace the philosophy that fueled the legendary Legion of Boom defense of the Seattle Seahawks—if you establish an extremely physical baseline from the jump, it’s tough to call fouls and you can’t call a foul on every single play.
Let’s be clear: This is certainly not the end of this chess match, but rather the latest move of many to come. Credit to the Thunder for regrouping and figuring out a new way of taking on one of the most difficult assignments in basketball. If the Thunder can sacrifice Hartenstein’s offensive contributions in exchange for 25 minutes of foul-heavy action, as good as they can hope for defense on Wembanyama every game, that’s a trade they’ll take every time.
We’ll see how the Spurs respond.
Relive the action as we covered it live on Wednesday night below:
How we got here: Spurs and Thunder NBA playoff runs
Game 1 set the stage for what should be an incredible Western Conference finals series—one that would surprise no one if it went to a full seven games.
Both teams have been pretty dominant up to this point as well. Monday’s loss was Oklahoma City’s first of the entire postseason, after they dominated the eighth-seeded Suns and fourth-seeded Lakers to open the playoffs.
The Spurs had a bit more difficulty, but just barely. They lost one game to the No. 7 Trail Blazers, the game in which Wembanyama left with a concussion, before rebounding to win in five games. They dropped two to the No. 6 Timberwolves—again, Wembanyama’s absence played a major role after he was ejected for a flagrant foul on Naz Reid and San Antonio dropped that game. When Wembanyama has been active and healthy for a full game, Minnesota’s Game 1 win by two points is the only Spurs loss so far.
Thunder vs. Suns first-round scores
- Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
- Game 2: Thunder 120, Suns 107
- Game 3: Thunder 121, Suns 109
- Game 4: Thunder 131, Suns 122
Thunder vs. Lakers second-round scores
- Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
- Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107
- Game 3: Thunder 131, Lakers 108
- Game 4: Thunder 115, Lakers 110
The Spurs have had a few hiccups, but have shut the door on their opponents when matters most.
Spurs vs. Trail Blazers first-round scores
- Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
- Game 2: Spurs 103, Trail Blazers 106
- Game 3: Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
- Game 4: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93
- Game 5: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 95
Spurs vs. Timberwolves second-round scores
- Game 1: Spurs 102, Timberwolves 104
- Game 2: Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95
- Game 3: Spurs 115, Timberwolves 108
- Game 4: Spurs 109, Timberwolves 114
- Game 5: Spurs 126, Timberwolves 97
- Game 6: Spurs 139, Timberwolves 109
More NBA Playoffs From Sports Illustrated
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