Thunder Defeat Spurs in Season Opener
SAN ANTONIO — In the season opener, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the same team that thwarted their title ambitions last season.
Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ standout, managed only 12 points on a rough shooting night, hitting just 1 of 13 attempts. That lone basket came on an alley-oop from De’Aaron Fox right as the third quarter came to a close, making it a particularly challenging match for him. It was his least productive shooting game since a May 10 matchup against Minnesota, where he went 2 for 5. Wembanyama’s struggles included missing his first dozen shots, topped off by an alley-oop attempt that 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara blocked.
Meanwhile, Jared McCain contributed significantly with 20 points, hitting 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, helping Oklahoma City maintain the lead for nearly the entire game after a brief early deficit.
In their previous encounter, the Spurs had defeated the Thunder 111-103 in a decisive Game 7 during the Western Conference Finals on May 30, so the rivalry remained intense even after nearly five months apart.
Three minutes into the second quarter, Fox was issued a Flagrant Foul 1 for throwing Chet Holmgren to the floor following a tangled play in the paint. This physical altercation ignited a scuffle on the court, requiring separation between Wembanyama and Jaylin Williams, both of whom had exchanged pushes. As a result, multiple players, including Wembanyama and both Williamses, received technical fouls for their involvement.
In the aftermath of the skirmish, Oklahoma City capitalized with a 9-0 run, featuring five points from Jalen and Kenrich Williams. Although Harrison Barnes managed to halt that run with a three-pointer, the Thunder quickly responded with 13 consecutive points, including a three from Cason Wallace, extending their lead to 59-33.
By halftime, Oklahoma City had outscored San Antonio 31-16 in the second quarter, pushing the score to 65-44. However, the Spurs came back strong after the break, launching a 23-9 run that narrowed the gap to single digits after having trailed by 26 in the first half.
Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain rose to the occasion in the second half, tallying a combined 25 points to help the Thunder secure their win.
