Thunder get 76 points off the bench, the key to a Game 3 win over Spurs in West finals

Ordinarily, this would have been a disaster. Oklahoma City had three starters combine to score seven points in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night.

Few people probably noticed.

That's how good the Thunder bench was — again.

They'll give out an MVP award when these West finals are over, and if things keep going like this, it might be a good idea to cut it up into parts and just hand it out to those on Oklahoma City's bench. OKC's reserves outscored San Antonio's bench 76-23 on Friday night, a huge reason why the Thunder beat the Spurs 123-108 for a 2-1 series lead.

Jared McCain scored 24 points for the Thunder; that’s a playoff career best. Jaylin Williams — 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.

“I like proving my support system right,” said McCain, a midseason pickup in a trade with Philadelphia. “The people who really believe in me, I like proving them right.”

Oh, they were right. And they had a lot to talk about Friday night.

“We talk about it a lot, in practice and throughout the whole playoffs: Be ready and stay ready,” McCain said. “Coaches have done a great job of that. ... We all are hoopers and we all know what to do out there, especially this team. It's a very mature team. Coming in, I just want to be as ready as I can, no matter what it is.”

He's not alone. The entire OKC bench has been ready, throughout the whole series.

The Thunder got 50 points from their reserves in Game 1, then 57 in Game 2 — and on Friday, the bench mob struck again.

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 — MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and Chet Holmgren had 14.

Didn't matter.

Down 15-0 not even three minutes into the game, coach Mark Daigneault went to his bench for the first time.

And everything changed in an instant, a harbinger of what was to come. Caruso, McCain, Williams and Cason Wallace combined to score 21 points in the remainder of that first quarter. The Spurs' lead was down to five going into the second, and it didn't take long for Oklahoma City to grab control.

“We assume the opponent’s always at their best and we need to be at ours and depth is a part of that. ... It just needs to be one of our strengths that we rely on, regardless of circumstance,” Daigneault said.

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. And after being down 15 at the start, the Thunder won by 15 at the end.

For the series, the Thunder reserves have outscored the Spurs' bench 183-64.

“We were ready,” McCain said.

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

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) celebrates after making a 3-point shot 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 Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and head coach Mark Daigneault react during the second 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 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 Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) works toward the basket as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) defends during the second half of Game 3 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad.

Rubio's first official trip to India comes as Washington seeks to stabilize relations with New Delhi after ties soured over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports.

Much of Rubio’s four-day visit, however, will focus on a multi-city tour, along with a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

“There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip,” Rubio said ahead of his visit to India.

Rubio arrived in eastern city of Kolkata early Saturday where he is later scheduled to visit Mother House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. In coming days, he will also visit northern cities of Agra and Jaipur, known for iconic monuments and palaces.

Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador in India, in a social media post said Rubio will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later Saturday in New Delhi. “Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!” he said.

He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday.

On Tuesday in New Delhi, Rubio will participate in the ministerial meeting of the Quad that has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims.

Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are its sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.

After his inauguration in January last year, Rubio’s first formal international engagement was meeting with the foreign ministers of the other Quad countries, both jointly and in separate sessions.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, looks on after disembarking his plane as the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, greets his wife Jeanette at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks his plane at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks his plane with his wife Jeanette at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Sisters of Nirmala Shishu Bhavan children's home of the Missionaries of Charity wave at the cavalcade of Secretary of State Marco Rubio after his visit, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, second right, waits for the arrival of United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is greeted by West Bengal state's Chief of Protocol, Avadh Singhal, left, after disembarking his plane at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

People wait by the side of the road to watch the cavalcade of United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio pass in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is greeted by West Bengal state's Chief of Protocol, Avadh Singhal, left, after disembarking his plane at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio boards his plane at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)