The last time the Thunder left the AT&T Center in San Antonio, they were down 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals and many people penciled the Spurs into the NBA Finals.
When they left the arena Monday night, they were one game away from themselves going to the finals. Oklahoma City won its third straight game in the series, taking down the Spurs 108-103. The win was OKC's first in San Antonio since 2009 and broke a 16-game home winning streak for the Spurs.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Russell Westbrook had 25 points on 9-for-24 shooting, along with 12 assists. James Harden scored 20 points, including a clutch three-pointer in the final minute. He also was a +22. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 34 points.
OKC led 52-44 at halftime, but the Spurs opened the second half on a 23-9 run to take a 67-61 lead. The Thunder withstood the momentum shift and turned it back, going on a 20-5 run to end the quarter with an 81-72 lead. OKC led 101-88 with 4:35 remaining and was closing in on a win, but a 13-2 San Antonio run cut the lead to two points with under a minute to go.
That's when James Harden hit a step-back three-pointer with the shot-clock winding down. It wasn't over, as a turnover gave the Spurs a chance to tie down by three, but Ginobili missed an off-balance three and the Thunder held on for the victory.
The series was seemingly over after the first two games and the Thunder heading home. Going back to Oklahoma City, some will again think it's over, but with a different outcome.
For a more in-depth look at the Oklahoma City Thunder, go to Welcome To Loud City. Check out Pounding The Rock for additional news and analysis on the San Antonio Spurs.