The Western Conference Finals has a new look. Oklahoma City bounced back in Game 2, evening the series at 1-1 and doing so without one of its best players for most of the night. Meanwhile, the Knicks head into Game 2 in the East tonight on the momentum of one of the more dramatic comebacks in recent playoff history. Here's everything you need to know.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together the kind of performance that defines these playoffs for him. The 27-year-old guard finished with 30 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and just one turnover in the Thunder's 122-113 win over San Antonio on Wednesday night — steadying OKC's offense after an early scare.1

That scare came in the first quarter: Jalen Williams, OKC's second star, exited with 1:34 remaining in the period due to left hamstring tightness and never returned.2 The Thunder played the final three quarters essentially without Williams, and still won by nine.

What made the difference was bench depth and turnovers. OKC's reserves outscored San Antonio's 57-25 — for the second consecutive game, the Thunder's second unit has been the series' most decisive factor. Alex Caruso contributed 17 points, +18, and five assists in 25 minutes. Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each added 12; Mitchell and Wallace combined for eight steals.1 The Thunder also generated 27 points off 21 San Antonio turnovers.

For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama had a legitimately strong line — 21 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks — but was neutralized in the paint. He scored just 10 points inside, compared to 26 in Game 1, as Isaiah Hartenstein (10 points, 13 rebounds, 8 offensive boards) held his ground physically.1 Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 25 points but recorded nine turnovers — bringing his series total to 20.

The series shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday.

The Spurs are heading into Game 3 with both of their starting guards questionable.

De'Aaron Fox, their All-Star point guard, has missed the first two games of this series with a right high ankle sprain sustained in the Western Conference Semifinals against Minnesota. He attempted a pregame workout before Game 2 but wasn't cleared to play.2 Fox's replacement, rookie Dylan Harper, then exited Wednesday's game in the third quarter with a right leg injury and did not return. Coach Mitch Johnson confirmed he hadn't received an update on Harper's status.

"He's just trying to play every day," Johnson said of Fox. "It's a tough injury that he wouldn't be playing with in the regular season, so he's trying to tough it out."2

The latest injury listings:

Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was seen limping late in Game 1 against the Knicks after playing 41 minutes; his status for tonight's Game 2 will be worth watching.

The Knicks won their eighth straight game on Tuesday, completing a 22-point comeback in the final 7:52 of regulation to beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime. It was the second-largest fourth-quarter playoff comeback since 2000.3

Jalen Brunson (SG, Knicks) carried the offense with 38 points, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter alone — including repeated isolation baskets against James Harden. OG Anunoby added 13 points and nine clutch free-throw attempts late. In overtime, New York outscored Cleveland 14-3; the Cavaliers managed a single field goal in the extra period.

Mitchell scored 29 for Cleveland but went ice-cold during the Knicks' surge, finishing 0-for-4 in the final eight-plus minutes of regulation.

Tonight, New York looks to go up 2-0 at Madison Square Garden. Cleveland, which had to go to seven games twice in earlier rounds, has shown it can recover from adversity — but it cannot afford to fall behind 0-2 on the road.

"They're going to come out with extreme energy, attention to detail, focus, sense of urgency and desperation," Knicks forward Josh Hart said of the Cavaliers' expected approach tonight.4

With the series shifting back to San Antonio, The Athletic published a wide-ranging piece Wednesday making the case that this matchup could define the Western Conference for the better part of the next decade — the way the Lakers-Celtics did in the 1980s.5

The argument rests on youth and cap flexibility. OKC's core of SGA (27), Chet Holmgren (24), and Williams (25) is locked through 2031, and the Thunder closed the season 19-1. San Antonio's big three — Wembanyama (22), Castle (21), and Harper (20) — are under contract through the mid-2030s, and the Spurs went 28-2 in the final 30 regular-season games in which Wembanyama played.

Both franchises control all of their own future first-round picks, and both have significant cap flexibility going forward. The league's top two players — SGA and Wembanyama — are in the same conference, and both are still improving.

Notably, this is the first 21st-century playoff matchup between two teams that won so few games combined just a few seasons ago. How long their rivalry lasts will partly depend on Friday night in San Antonio.

LeBron James, who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this season, said Wednesday he plans to take his time before deciding whether to return for a 24th season.6

"Up in June, late June, as July rolls around, free agency gets going," James said on the Mind the Game podcast. "As July's rolling maybe into August, we start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like."

James was swept by OKC in the second round this season. He enters free agency alongside Austin Reaves, whose player option for 2026-27 he's expected to decline. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka confirmed the front office wants James back but said the roster will be "retrofitted around Luka" Doncic going forward. The Warriors, Cavaliers, and Knicks are mentioned as teams expected to pursue James if he opts to change teams.