Alex Caruso, Jared McCain making sure Thunder bench depth is felt by Spurs in West finals

The crowd inside Paycom Center stood still, waiting for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to make his move. Subtle chants of “O-K-C” could be heard, but most fans were silent. The less distractions the better for the two-time MVP, who was looking to deliver the dagger during the final minute of Game 2 against San Antonio on Wednesday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander then did exactly that. He freed himself from Stephon Castle with a stepback and freed the crowd from its nerves by sinking an 18-foot jumper. It was a big-time bucket that helped the Thunder secure a 122-113 win and even up the Western Conference finals series .

Celebrations from the crowd ensued after the shot, all while a straight-faced Gilgeous-Alexander held his hand out. “Calm the (expletive) down,” he could be seen saying. But Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t talking to the fans or even his team, in general, during the high-pressure situation.

He was talking to Jared McCain , who’d been loudly calling for the ball at the top of the arc while Gilgeous-Alexander was trying to score. More: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder strike back vs Spurs in Game 2 to even up West finals “Jared was yelling at me while I was shooting,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained after the game. “And I was like, ‘Bro, I’m shooting.