Opinion: Thunder bench success major reason why Western Conference Finals are tied at two

Jared McCain (YouTube)

Anyway you look at it, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault must be absolutely thrilled with the production he is getting off of the Oklahoma City bench in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. In game two, the Thunder bench outscored the San Antonio Spurs bench 57-25, and in game three, the Thunder outscored the Spurs bench 76-23 en route to a 123-108 win. That is a total difference of 85 points over two games.

The two Thunder players who are producing the most in a non-starting role are guards Jared McCain of Sacramento, California and Alex Caruso of College Station, Texas. McCain had 36 points (12 in game two and 24 in game three), and was a +37 in the two Thunder wins, and Caruso had 32 points (17 in game two and 15 game three), and was a +46 in the two Thunder wins.

However, Caruso’s lack of production is a major reason why the series is now tied. In game four on Sunday night in Texas, Caruso put up a goose egg, as he missed his only field goal attempt in 14 minutes and was a disastrous -22.

In game four on Sunday, we also saw why Spurs star centre Victor Wembanyama of Le Chesnay, France is so spectacularly special. With the final shot in the first half, Wembanyama used his height to his advantage. He made a 43 foot jump shot with no time left on the clock. Wembanyama’s shot from center court put San Antonio up by 12 points (50-38), and contributed to a 103-82 win.

One thing to keep in mind heading into game five on Tuesday, is to keep watching the game even if one team has an extended run. In game three, the Spurs jumped out to a 15-0 lead, but lost by 15 points.