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Jared McCain, who scored a playoff career-high 24 in Game 3, is averaging 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in the West Finals.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Download the NBA App<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n SAN ANTONIO \u2013<\/strong> Jared McCain basked in the radiance of\u00a0his\u00a0playoff gem.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Oklahoma City Thunder reserve guard had just scored a playoff career-high 24 points, helping beat the San Antonio Spurs 123-108 in Game 3<\/a> Friday for a 2-1 Thunder series lead in the Western Conference Finals<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n He was all\u00a0smiles. Even when asked if he was trying to prove former Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey wrong for sending him to the Thunder in a February trade deadline deal<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a trade that is still reverberating with league-wide ramifications.\u00a0Morey is no longer with the Sixers<\/a>, who received a 2026 first-round pick (No. 22<\/a>), a 2027 second-round pick and two 2028 second-round picks from the Thunder.\u00a0<\/p>\n McCain is having the kind of impact <\/strong>that could help the Thunder win a second consecutive championship.<\/p>\n He answered the question.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s never to prove anybody wrong,\u201d McCain said. \u201cI try to keep a positive outlook, and I like proving my support system right \u2013 the people who really believe in me. I got traded, and no matter what, Daryl\u2019s still the guy who drafted me.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll always have love for him for that. He trusted me, believed in me enough to take me in the 16 spot so I\u2019m forever grateful for that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0his admirable\u00a0approach to looking for and finding the good in circumstances. The attitude fits\u00a0in\u00a0Oklahoma City\u2019s locker room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just a good dude,\u201d said Thunder reserve Jaylin Williams. \u201cHe\u2019s confident in himself, he\u2019s confident in his ability, he\u2019s confident in his own skin. He\u2019s happy. He makes a good time regardless of what it is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Jared McCain scores a crucial 24 points off the bench to help the Thunder take a 2-1 series lead.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n McCain, 22 and in his second NBA season,\u00a0made an impact<\/a> when the Thunder needed it in Game 3. The Thunder fell behind 15-0 to start the game, and McCain checked in with the Spurs up 19-4. Quickly, he had an offensive rebound, defensive rebound,\u00a0made a\u00a0jump\u00a0shot\u00a0and\u00a0made\u00a0a\u00a0layup. When he checked out with 59.8 seconds left\u00a0in\u00a0the first quarter, the Thunder\u00a0trailed\u00a027-24.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNever surprised, definitely impressed,\u201d said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. \u201cI do know that from the second he got here \u2013 this is obviously a high-level team that was the 1 seed and is now playing deep in the playoffs \u2013 he hasn\u2019t flinched. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s jumped\u00a0right on the train.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0a big-time\u00a0teammate,\u00a0big-time competitor and\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0got playoff confidence obviously. Playoff confidence\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0always being able to perform well or anything like that.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0being able to take punches and keep throwing them,\u00a0and\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0certainly shown the capacity to do\u00a0that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In the playoffs, <\/strong>he is averaging 9.2 points and shooting 46.4% from the field and 41.3% on 3-pointers.<\/strong> Against the Spurs,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0at 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and the Thunder have outscored the Spurs by 46 points when\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0on the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI love this so much, and I love what my life is right now and being able to play and contribute at this level, I never want to take it for granted,\u201d McCain said. \u201cWhatever opportunity I get,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0going to take advantage of it, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0going to try and\u00a0execute\u00a0my best.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why I just go in there and just be fearless and trust myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Everyone wanted to talk about the 6-foot-3 McCain\u2019s driving layup against 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama. McCain bodied up Wembanyama and flipped the basketball into the hoop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lay it \ud83c\udd99, JMac \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/ig6UoirjcL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cI feel like I had a small advantage,\u201d McCain said. \u201cAnytime you can use leverage, I feel like I have strong legs and being able to use the shoulder bump and get him off balance and finish, not over him, but sometimes I get him out of the way and kind of throw it up and see. I was thinking I was going to get my offensive rebound. I didn\u2019t know if I was going to make it or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0Thunder\u2019s possession before that was important, too. The Spurs were within reach at 70-64, and McCain made a 3-pointer for a 73-64 Thunder lead in the third quarter.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Spurs made another push<\/strong> midway through the fourth quarter and cut a 15-point deficit to 105-96. Daigneault called timeout, and when play resumed, McCain made a 12-foot jumper<\/a> and followed it with an assist on a Williams four-point play<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0a 111-96 Thunder lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThose are huge momentum-shifters especially getting quiet out of the crowd and being able to play to J-Will like that, he\u00a0was hot all night,\u201d McCain said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n McCain attempted a game-high 21 shots in Game 3, and he was 2-for-10 on 3s but 8-for-11 inside the arc. Thunder Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his homework on McCain when the Thunder traded for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to make sure that when he came here, he felt like he could be himself,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n McCain\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0sure what his role would be\u00a0for the\u00a0Thunder.\u00a0Everyone knows now.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI knew we would\u00a0definitely be\u00a0a great team. I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know how much\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0be contributing,\u201d he\u00a0said. \u201cWhen I first got traded, I was trying to learn from the best since they won it already. And so being able to contribute early and learn from them has been a blessing for me.\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know if I expected it, but I\u00a0definitely am\u00a0ready.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at\u00a0jzillgitt@nba.com<\/a>, find\u00a0his archive here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0follow him on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n