The Oklahoma City Thunder have a problem called the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama and company defeated the defending champions 102-117 on Thursday in the traditional NBA Christmas Day, the Texans’ third win over Oklahoma City in less than two weeks.
The Thunder (26-5) have only lost five games this season, three of them to San Antonio (23-7). The Thunder’s near-perfect start to the season has been completely ruined in this 13-day span by their clashes with the Spurs.
Confirm their candidacy for the title
For the San Antonio Spurs, a team in the midst of a growth spurt that no one considered to be among the favorites for the ring, these victories against the dreaded Thunder serve to definitively present their candidacy for the title.
The NBA got it right by scheduling the Thunder-Spurs matchup on Christmas Day.
The Spurs had just eliminated the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals on December 13 in Las Vegas (109-111).
And of inflicting their worst defeat of the season: 130-110, in San Antonio 48 hours ago.
Yesterday, in Oklahoma, the Thunder were destined to exact revenge against a team that is beginning to challenge their dominance in the West.
The Thunder, powerless
It wasn’t. The success-hungry Spurs cruised to their eighth straight win, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 29 points.
San Antonio had had seven different players as leading scorers in the previous seven wins:
Fox is the first to repeat in this streak.
The Thunder dominated much of the early part of the game, but by the end of the first quarter the Spurs had already taken the lead, a lead they would not relinquish.
In addition to Fox’s 29 points, Victor Wembanyama -substitute and on minutes restriction- signed a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Wemby’ has shown a marked animosity toward the Thunder ever since he declared at the NBA Cup that San Antonio plays “ethical basketball” versus Oklahoma City’s approach.
Stephon Castle contributed 19 points, Harrison Barnes 15 and rookie Dylan Harper 12.
Shai and the Thunder, aimless
For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points.
The Canadian and current NBA MVP finished 7-of-19 from the field (36.8%), including 1-of-6 from three-point range (16.1%).
Isaiah Hartenstein (13 points and 12 rebounds) and Chet Holmgren (10 points and 12 rebounds) both contributed double-doubles.
Offensive rebounds kept the Thunder alive during the second half.
Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso each finished with 12 points. Caruso hit his first three-pointer of the afternoon on his 10th attempt.
Shai and Caruso’s lack of success extended to the rest of the Thunder:
38.9 % from the field, 25 % in three-pointers and just 68 % from the free throw, and that took its toll against a much more accurate Spurs (56.6 %, 37.9 % and 76.2 %).
Oklahoma City and San Antonio Spurs -currently one and two in the West- are the two franchises that, forged on the basis of the draft, are adapting better to the strict financial rules that make it difficult to form dynasties in the NBA.
Their duels are shaping a rivalry destined to shape the league for years to come.
With information from EFE
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