Thunder’s bench just ripped apart the narrative that had Spurs feeling good
When Colin Cowherd said the Spurs were the better team after Mitchell Johnson’s squad lost Game 2, it hit like a truck in OKC. Three games into the series now, the Thunder are up 2-1 and headed back to San Antonio for Sunday’s Game 4. At this point, Cowherd’s take on calling the Spurs the better team seems to have lost its merit.
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Right after the Spurs dropped Game 2, Cowherd didn’t sugarcoat his feelings, saying, «We have to be totally honest about this, and nobody wants to hear this in OKC. San Antonio has been the better team: better field goal percentage and better three-point percentage. They have the best player in the series and points in the paint. Oklahoma City is looking up.»
The argument wasn’t about the scoreboard. It was about which team was playing better basketball. Through two games, the numbers backed him up. But then in Game 3, OKC’s bench just shut down the narrative by delivering a dominant 123-108 victory.
What changed in Spurs vs. Thunder Game 3?
The Spurs started Game 3 solid at home, going on a 15-0 run and leading 19-4 right away. For a second, it looked like Cowherd was actually right about San Antonio being the better team. But OKC’s bench had a better plan to flip the script completely.
Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain, and Cason Wallace turned a potential blowout into a 123-108 Thunder win. The second unit dropped 76 points, breaking the franchise playoff record they literally just set the game before. McCain had 24, Williams put up 18, and Caruso added 15.
Four of the Thunder’s starters actually finished with a negative plus-minus, but three bench guys were over +20. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t even score in the first quarter, which has only happened twice in four years.
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But he still ended up with 26 points, 12 assists, and only two turnovers. Instead of forcing bad shots or hunting for fouls when the Spurs threw double-teams at him, he just made the right pass.
Right before the game, Cowherd called SGA the «Mayor of Flop City,» complaining that he falls to the floor way too much compared to guys like James Harden, Jalen Brunson, or Victor Wembanyama. He even said SGA wasn’t fun to watch.
«We have to be totally honest about this. Nobody wants to hear this in OKC: San Antonio’s been the better team. Oklahoma City is looking up.»
Despite winning game 2, @colincowherd thinks the Thunder could be in trouble pic.twitter.com/XCLhAzXWQb
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 21, 2026
But as long as the Thunder keep winning, all these complaints just feel like unnecessary noise. Winning cures everything. Still, heading into Game 4, injuries are definitely clouding both sidelines. Jalen Williams missed Game 3 entirely and is still on the Thunder’s injury report.
Over on the San Antonio side, the backcourt is looking a bit fragile. Stephon Castle’s ball security is becoming a live issue after some sloppy play in the first few games, and the Spurs need to clean up their mistakes if they want a chance to tie this thing up.
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