Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 30, Thunder top Spurs 122-113 in Game 2 of West finals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The MVP looked like the MVP again, and the Western Conference finals are knotted up.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a subpar series opener to score 30 points, Alex Caruso added 17 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night in Game 2.

Chet Holmgren scored 13 points and reserves Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each had 12 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished with a 57-25 edge in bench scoring, plus a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I thought we all played better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I had a quiet confidence about that. I didn't know if we'd win or lose the game, but I was pretty sure after watching Game 1 and knowing our team that we were going to come out and play better tonight.”

Stephon Castle scored 25 points for the Spurs, who got 22 points from Devin Vassell and a 21-point, 17-rebound, six-assist, four-block night from Victor Wembanyama.

Game 3 is Friday in San Antonio.

“The guys brought it tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one, we brought the energy from the jump.”

Isaiah Hartenstein — who barely played in Game 1 — had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 14-5 after a loss this season — and beat the Spurs for just the second time in seven meetings.

The win was not without cost for the Thunder, who lost guard Jalen Williams — who had already missed six games in these playoffs with a left hamstring strain — in the first half with a recurrence of the hamstring issue. The Thunder said it was tightness, but even that would figure to put his availability for Friday into doubt.

And the Spurs got banged up as well. Already without All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox because of ankle soreness, San Antonio lost his replacement in the starting lineup — Dylan Harper — to a right leg injury after he took a couple of awkward falls in the third quarter.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had no update on Harper after the game, though he noted that it puts “a ton” of pressure on others when his team is down two guards.

“Obviously this team is as good as anybody at turning you over, so when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators it causes a little bit of an extra strain, whether that’s who to play, what to play, what to run, etc., etc.,” Johnson said. “We’ll just have to be sharper in that area because it’s tough fully loaded against these guys.”

San Antonio was down by 11 at the half and trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter, then got within 99-97 off a corner 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes with 9:06 left.

The next 2 1/2 minutes saved the Thunder. An 11-0 run by the defending champions — including a banked-in 3-pointer by McCain midway through the burst — pushed OKC's lead to 13.

But the Spurs — on another night when turnovers plagued them and the stretch run was played without Fox and Harper — were far from done. Wembanyama scored down low to make it 118-113 with 1:25 remaining, but Gilgeous-Alexander got one last basket to settle things down and send the series to San Antonio tied.

“We've got to help our ballhandlers more and take care of the ball,” Wembanyama said.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) celebrates with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) after a dunk during the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dunks against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the first half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) defends against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of Game 2 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alan Roden hit a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat Cleveland 6-5 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win over the Guardians.

The Twins have won four in a row and five of six overall.

Roden singled twice and drove in two runs. Kody Clemens went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, and Brooks Lee singled twice and drove in a pair of runs.

Yoendrys Gómez (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for his first win this season.

Brayan Rocchio and Rhys Hoskins homered for the Guardians.

Chase DeLauter singled to lead off the fourth before Rocchio hit a 401-foot homer off Twins starter Connor Prielipp. Hoskins followed with a solo shot, his second straight game with a homer.

But, the Twins answered in the bottom half of the inning.

Lee, Clemens and Josh Bell singled to load the bases with no outs. Lee scored when Royce Lewis walked, Luke Keaschall followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Clemens, and Roden added an RBI single that made it 3-all.

Cleveland's Kahlil Watson walked on four pitches to leadoff the seventh and then stole second base before Steven Kwan walked. DeLauter singled, driving in Watson, and Kwan scored on a sacrifice bunt by Rocchio.

Keaschall and Ryan Kreidler walked before Erik Sabrowski replaced Shawn Armstrong with one out in the bottom half. Pinch-hitter Austin Martin walked on four pitches to load the bases before Lee drew another walk, scoring Keaschall. Clemens walked, scoring Kreidler, making it 5-all.

Prielipp allowed three runs and had six strikeouts in five innings.

Indians RHP Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.89 ERA) starts Thursday opposite Twins RHP Bailey Ober (6-3, 4.59), who returns after nearly six weeks on the injured list.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Minnesota Twins' Kody Clemens (2) scores on a sacrifice fly by Luke Keaschall during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Joseph Scheller)

Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) hits a sacrifice fly to score Kody Clemens during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Joseph Scheller)

Minnesota Twins' Alan Roden (18) hits a walk-off RBI single scoring Royce Lewis in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Joseph Scheller)

Minnesota Twins' Alan Roden, center left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single scoring Royce Lewis in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Joseph Scheller)