Thursday’s Brotherhood Playoff News & Links
This is shaping up to be a GREAT series.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images T he Oklahoma City Thunder evened the Western Conference Finals Wednesday evening with a 122-113 win.
The series is now tied 1-1 Jared McCain came off the bench to score 12 points, hitting 4-14 overall and 3-9 from behind the three-point line. Mason Plumlee did not get off the bench for San Antonio. Victor Wembanya continues his assault on the league, scoring 21 points, pulling down 17 rebounds, passing out 6 assists and blocking 4 shots.
This has quickly become the most interesting rivalry in the NBA, but the future belongs to Wembanyama and OKC will have to find a way to counter him. They can either find someone who can more or less match his abilities, which is a long shot at best, or they can find some modern equivalent of the Jordan Rules, and that might mean substantially altering their roster. Fortunately, they have a ton of options.
They could, for instance, build a frontcourt specifically to cage Wembanyama, at least offensively. We’re just using hypothetical examples here, but if you threw Steven Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Zion Williamson at him, that’s a frontcourt that would expose his biggest weakness, which is his pipe-cleaner frame. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the league, his physique was somewhat similar, but by the time he retired, his body was much thicker.