NBA: Jared McCain has keyed Thunder wins as Spurs face elimination in Game 6

Jared McCain has quickly made a name for himself with the Oklahoma City Thunder since arriving in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Known for his seamless integration with the team and his confidence to keep shooting even during tough stretches, McCain has become a vital part of the Thunder’s playoff push.

Heading into Thursday’s Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the host San Antonio Spurs, McCain’s role has grown, partly due to injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell that have increased his playing time.

“I think he’s a special human being,” Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I think just in general, no one will change the way he is. I’ve never seen someone so happy every single day.”

The 22-year-old McCain was in high spirits Tuesday, making his first career playoff start — and only his 12th NBA start overall — scoring 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting in Oklahoma City’s 127-114 win, giving the Thunder a 3-2 series lead.

McCain has averaged 18.7 points per game in the Thunder’s wins, frequently using his mid-range jumper to keep defenses honest.

“It’s what the NBA is about now,” Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s spread-out basketball. Everybody on the court has to be able to make a play. It’s very position-less offensively and defensively. The better you are at guarding multiple positions, the more you play; the better you are at doing multiple things on offense, the more you play. It’s just how it is.”

The Spurs played physical against McCain late in Game 5, including a hard foul by Mason Plumlee with under two minutes remaining. The league later upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 after review.

After Tuesday’s loss, San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs needed more from Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama averaged more than 20 rebounds per game over the first two games of the series but has pulled down just 6.0 rebounds over the last three. He scored 20 points in Game 5 but shot only 4-of-15 from the floor.

“I don’t think we screened well,” Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “That’s on us, screening for him and vice versa. We have to screen better for each other and then play with pace.”

Fox added that the formula for Game 6 is simple: “We’ve got to play like the more desperate team.”

During last season’s NBA Championship run, the Thunder twice faced elimination, defeating Denver and Indiana in Game 7s. For the Spurs, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and won their first two series in five or six games, Thursday marks the first elimination game for this roster.

“I feel like we’ve been great when we’re desperate all year,” Stephon Castle said. “I’m excited to see how we’ll respond.”

The Spurs are 5-3 at home during the playoffs, while the Thunder are 5-1 on the road, with their only loss coming in Game 4 in San Antonio.

—Field Level Media/Reuters