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Sports

Bench boosts Thunder past Spurs in Game 3

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OKC Thunder Jaylin Williams Jared McCain vs Spurs NBA Playoffs Game 3

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and guard Jared McCain (3) hug after Game 3 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Down 15-0 not even three minutes into Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault went to his bench for the first time.

And everything changed in an instant, a harbinger of what was to come.

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The Oklahoma City bench keeps getting better in these Western Conference finals — and, with all respect to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the backups are the reason the Thunder are two wins away from a return the NBA Finals.

READ: NBA Playoffs: Spurs, Thunder battle injuries in West finals

The Thunder got 50 points from their reserves in Game 1, then 57 in Game 2 — and on Friday, the bench mob struck again, scoring 76 points and keying Oklahoma City’s 123-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs for a 2-1 series lead.

The 76 bench points were the most by a team in a conference finals game since the NBA went to the 16-team playoff format in 1984. The previous mark was 69 by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985. Only two Thunder starters scored in double figures — Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and Chet Holmgren had 14.

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The bench more than made up for that.

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Jared McCain scored 24 points for the Thunder; that’s a playoff career best. Jaylin Williams — that’s the forward, with Thunder guard Jalen Williams out with hamstring issues again — hit five 3-pointers and scored 18; that was also a playoff career high. And Alex Caruso had 15 points, giving him 63 in this series; that’s the best three-game scoring span of his career.

READ: NBA Playoffs: Wembanyama disappointed as Spurs fall to Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder vs Spurs NBA Playoffs Game 3Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder vs Spurs NBA Playoffs Game 3

Oklahoma City Thunder guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Alex Caruso (9) high-five during the first half of Game 3 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Oklahoma City’s bench contributed 62% of the scoring for the Thunder in Game 3 — something no team had done in a winning effort during a conference finals game in the last four decades.

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Caruso was the first sub for the Thunder after the Spurs scored the game’s first 15 points. He instantly settled things down and most of that San Antonio lead was gone by the end of the first quarter.

Oklahoma City controlled the majority of things the rest of the way. After being down 15 at the start, the Thunder won by 15 at the end.



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Sports

Sidney Crosby optimistic abut Evgeni Malkin’s future after contract talks “in a good place” with Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby delivered a hopeful message about the future of his longtime teammate Evgeni Malkin, saying recent contract discussions between the organization and the veteran center have reached a promising stage.

Speaking from the World Championship in Switzerland, Crosby indicated that the end-of-season conversations left him feeling encouraged about Malkin’s chances of staying in Pittsburgh.

Evgeni Malkin will turn 40 this summer and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“I’ve just always expected to be playing with him,” Crosby said via NY Times. “After talking with everyone at the end of the year, it felt like it was in a good place in terms of getting something done.

He also expressed a preference for resolving the situation sooner rather than later, referencing past negotiations that dragged into the summer and created unnecessary uncertainty.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been central to the Penguins’ success for nearly two decades, arriving as young phenoms in the mid-2000s and anchoring three Stanley Cup championship teams.

Crosby has made no secret of his desire to continue their on-ice partnership, describing their connection as one that goes far beyond hockey. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has previously voiced the organization’s interest in retaining Malkin.

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With the team coming off another early playoff exit, a short-term deal for the veteran forward appears to be the most likely path to take as Pittsburgh tries to blend its veteran leadership with younger players moving up the roster.

Sidney Crosby clears the air around retirement speculation

Sidney Crosby made it clear he has no immediate thoughts of hanging up his skates. The 38-year-old superstar addressed ongoing speculation about his future:

“Not at all… I said year to year because of where the team is at,” he said. “It just makes sense, whether it’s our cap, who we have coming in and out, just to have that flexibility. It’s important,” Crosby said via NY Times.

He added:

“Yeah, I’m saying year to year based on contracts,” he explained. “It just seems to make sense. I mean, it could change. We’ll see. Kyle (Dubas) and I haven’t even talked about it. But I’ll talk with Pat (Brisson) and Kyle later this summer. We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense. If it does make sense to sign for a couple of years, then we’ll do that.”

Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby and Team Canada are atop the Group B standings with 14 points at the World Championship. Their next game is against Slovakia on Sunday.

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