Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not surprised by Alex Caruso, Jared McCain in Game 3

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had high praises to share about teammates Alex Caruso and Jared McCain following their performances off the bench in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 3 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Going into the contest, Oklahoma City was even at one game apiece with San Antonio. The Thunder lost the series opener in a thrilling overtime duel before bouncing back with a solid victory in Game 2. They needed key factors to play in their favor, and the bench happened to be one of them.

Four players reached double figures in scoring off the bench, including Caruso and McCain. The entire bench unit combined for 76 points, making NBA history in the process. Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the victory after the game on the NBC broadcast. He gave credit to the bench for making big plays down the stretch, emphasizing their depth as a key feature to their championship status.

“We have a really good basketball team. 1-15 can really play at the highest level. … No surprise for us, we know what we’re capable of,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

"We have a really good basketball team. 1-15 can really play at the highest level. … No surprise for us, we know what we're capable of.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the Game 3 victory

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/qdc3kwLXYQ

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 23, 2026

How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder played against Spurs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are officially two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. If they can keep getting quality games from Alex Caruso and Jared McCain, they can certainly achieve that objective.

San Antonio got off to a hot start, leading 15-0 at one point. However, the Thunder fired back as they overwhelmed the hosts 32-20 in the second period. That was a stretch the Spurs failed to recover from, playing catch up with Oklahoma City from there on.

Six players scored in double-digits for Oklahoma City in the win, including Gilgeous-Alexander. He led the attack with 26 points, 12 assists, two rebounds, and a block. McCain came next with 24 points and four rebounds, Jaylin Williams had 18 points and five rebounds, while Caruso provided 15 points and three rebounds.

The Spurs hope to go up 3-1 in the series when they face the Thunder on the road in Game 4. The contest takes place on May 24 at 8 p.m. ET.

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