Thunder battle back after rough start in Game 3 win over Spurs

[p]Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] led another dominant all-round offensive performance by the reigning NBA champions, who saw four members of their bench finish in double figures to set up the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=2ynvU7MH"]precious road win[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccain-jared/0AVdXU8C/"]Jared McCain[/a] led the Thunder bench scorers with 24 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-jaylin/jD1xaPEo/"]Jaylin Williams[/a] drained five three-pointers in an 18-point contribution.[/p][p]French star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a] led the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] scoring with 26 points, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vassell-devin/hIJfdJJJ/"]Devin Vassell[/a] added 20.[/p][p]Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised his team's "poise" after climbing out of an early 15-point deficit to eventually close out a convincing win by the same margin.[/p][p][b]"It was a punch - credit to them," [/b]Daigneault said of San Antonio's fast start. [b]"They were ready to play and they got us early. But I thought we showed great poise to understand the 48-minute nature of the game.[/b][/p][embed guid="1911bf68-44a3-4310-b7a6-14cdabf1ad2d" url="https://x.com/okcthunder/status/2058027005686218903" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"It's a long game obviously and the bench gave us a huge lift right there to to help us get the game into a manageable spot. Great poise by the team."[/b][/p][p]Another pulsating clash between the Western Conference rivals got off to a breathless start, with the Spurs roaring into a 15-0 lead within minutes of tip-off.[/p][p]A shellshocked Thunder line-up quickly regrouped and punched back to close the gap to 31-29 early in the second quarter before a brilliant Gilgeous-Alexander three-pointer handed the visitors the lead.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a] then pulled into a 58-51 lead at the break after outscoring San Antonio 32-20 in the second quarter thanks to 10 points apiece from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caruso-alex/j3T3c42g/"]Alex Caruso[/a].[/p][p][b]The intensity which had simmered throughout the opening two games of the series then boiled over early in the third quarter, when Mitchell pushed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castle-stephon/Kzd3IGeT/"]Stephon Castle[/a] as the Spurs guard leapt for a basket.[/b][/p][p]Castle skidded off court while team-mate Devin Vassell then got into a shoving match with Mitchell, triggering a melee.[/p][embed guid="f627401d-4398-453d-9a74-f3033fdc8d8c" url="https://x.com/okcthunder/status/2058059570388390124" social-type="twitter" /][p]By that stage Oklahoma City had built a 10-point to lead 67-57, and they kept the pressure on to lead 95-84 heading into the fourth quarter.[/p][p]The points kept flowing in the fourth and the Thunder maintained their comfortable advantage to close out the win.[/p][p][b]"We were really sharp to start the game and obviously we didn't sustain it,"[/b] Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said afterwards.[/p][p][b]"It wasn't sustainable how we started but I thought we played very fast and that's something that tapered off as the game went along. We have to find a way to do that."[/b][/p][p]Game four of the best-of-seven series takes place in San Antonio on Sunday.[/p]