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.
SAN ANTONIO – Jared McCain basked in the radiance of his playoff gem.
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 Friday for a 2-1 Thunder series lead in the Western Conference Finals.
He was all smiles. 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.
It’s a trade that is still reverberating with league-wide ramifications. Morey is no longer with the Sixers, who received a 2026 first-round pick (No. 22), a 2027 second-round pick and two 2028 second-round picks from the Thunder.
McCain is having the kind of impact that could help the Thunder win a second consecutive championship.
He answered the question.
“It’s never to prove anybody wrong,” McCain said. “I try to keep a positive outlook, and I like proving my support system right – the people who really believe in me. I got traded, and no matter what, Daryl’s still the guy who drafted me.
“I’ll always have love for him for that. He trusted me, believed in me enough to take me in the 16 spot so I’m forever grateful for that.”
It’s his admirable approach to looking for and finding the good in circumstances. The attitude fits in Oklahoma City’s locker room.
“He’s just a good dude,” said Thunder reserve Jaylin Williams. “He’s confident in himself, he’s confident in his ability, he’s confident in his own skin. He’s happy. He makes a good time regardless of what it is.”
Jared McCain scores a crucial 24 points off the bench to help the Thunder take a 2-1 series lead.
McCain, 22 and in his second NBA season, made an impact 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, made a jump shot and made a layup. When he checked out with 59.8 seconds left in the first quarter, the Thunder trailed 27-24.
“Never surprised, definitely impressed,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “I do know that from the second he got here – this is obviously a high-level team that was the 1 seed and is now playing deep in the playoffs – he hasn’t flinched.
“He’s jumped right on the train. He’s a big-time teammate, big-time competitor and he’s got playoff confidence obviously. Playoff confidence isn’t always being able to perform well or anything like that. It’s being able to take punches and keep throwing them, and he’s certainly shown the capacity to do that.”
In the playoffs, he is averaging 9.2 points and shooting 46.4% from the field and 41.3% on 3-pointers. Against the Spurs, he’s at 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and the Thunder have outscored the Spurs by 46 points when he’s on the court.
“I 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,” McCain said. “Whatever opportunity I get, I’m going to take advantage of it, and I’m going to try and execute my best. That’s why I just go in there and just be fearless and trust myself.”
Everyone wanted to talk about the 6-foot-3 McCain’s driving layup against 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama. McCain bodied up Wembanyama and flipped the basketball into the hoop.
Lay it 🆙, JMac 😤 pic.twitter.com/ig6UoirjcL
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2026
“I feel like I had a small advantage,” McCain said. “Anytime 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’t know if I was going to make it or not.”
The Thunder’s 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.
The Spurs made another push 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 and followed it with an assist on a Williams four-point play for a 111-96 Thunder lead.
“Those are huge momentum-shifters especially getting quiet out of the crowd and being able to play to J-Will like that, he was hot all night,” McCain said.
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.
“I wanted to make sure that when he came here, he felt like he could be himself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
McCain wasn’t sure what his role would be for the Thunder. Everyone knows now.
“I knew we would definitely be a great team. I didn’t know how much I’d be contributing,” he said. “When 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. I don’t know if I expected it, but I definitely am ready.”
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
