Thunder erase 15-point deficit to take series lead over Spurs as Victor Wembanyama’s 26 points fall short

Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has produced numbers not seen at this stage of the postseason in roughly 50 years.

As the series shifted to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday, the French basketball phenom once again led the Spurs in scoring. But his 26-point performance was not enough to give San Antonio a 2-1 series lead over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched Wembanyama with 26 points, leading Oklahoma City to a 123-108 victory.

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Shortly after Game 2 on Wednesday, Spurs guard Stephon Castle acknowledged that his team is "probably most comfortable playing in front of our fans." San Antonio quickly backed up that sentiment in Game 3, jumping out to a 15-0 lead in its first home game of the series.

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Just five minutes into the contest, the Spurs held a commanding 19-4 advantage as the home crowd created a raucous atmosphere.

But Oklahoma City’s bench played a pivotal role in the comeback that ultimately gave the Thunder a critical series lead. Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace were widely credited with helping swing the game.

The Spurs took Game 1 behind 41 points and 24 rebounds from Wembanyama, and the defending champion Thunder got 30 points from Gilgeous-Alexander on the way to getting a victory in Game 2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.