San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Preview, Picks & Odds for Tuesday, May 26, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | May 25, 2026, 6:53pm

Game 5 between the San Antonio Spurs (2-2) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2-2) is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC. Ajay Mitchell remains sidelined, while Jalen Williams is questionable to play.

The Thunder have not lost back-to-back playoffs games since they acquired Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein during the 2024 offseason. Will this streak continue in Game 5?

Spurs vs. Thunder Betting Analysis

If Williams cannot suit up, then Oklahoma City’s offense is in trouble. The unit clearly lacked off-the-dribble creation and a downhill presence outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 4. As a result, the Thunder had a lot of aimless passes on the perimeter that led to heavily contested triples. This weakness also forced Jared McCain, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Joe to handle the basketball more frequently, which is not their strength.

The Thunder’s struggles were amplified by the Spurs deciding to double Gilgeous-Alexander less frequently and instead stay home on shooters. The creation burden on Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders was immense. Fatigue and Stephon Castle’s physical defense likely wore him down, thus causing him to miss shots he usually makes.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama exploded for 33 points because he was more aggressive inside the paint. It helped that Isaiah Hartenstein picked up a pair of quick fouls in the first quarter. San Antonio needs Wembanyama to stay aggressive and take fewer jump shots.

Both teams did not play their starters a ton of minutes because it was a blowout, so the Spurs and Thunder should be a bit more rested and energized than usual in Game 5. Look for this clash to be highly memorable.

The best bet for Game 5 is taking Cason Wallace to record at least two and three steals. He led the NBA in total steals this regular season and made the All-Defensive Second Team. Wallace is a hyper-elite perimeter defender who specializes at getting a hand on the basketball. The Kentucky product has logged 28 deflections and 11 steals through four games. For context, the next best marks in this series are Stephon Castle at 13 deflections and Gilgeous-Alexander at eight steals.

Spurs vs. Thunder Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Cason Wallace O1.5 Steals (-146)
Best Bet: Cason Wallace O2.5 Steals (+220)
Score Prediction: Thunder 103, Spurs 102

Spurs vs. Thunder Game Odds

Spurs vs. Thunder Game Information

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Network: NBC
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Venue: Paycom Center – 225.9 ppg; 26-21 O/U
Series Score: Tied 2-2

Spurs vs. Thunder Betting Resources

Spurs vs. Thunder Key Players

Spurs

Victor Wembanyama – Last Game: 33 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
De’Aaron Fox – Last Game: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists
Stephon Castle – Last Game: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Last Game: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists
Chet Holmgren – Last Game: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Jared McCain – Last Game: 4 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.