It's a three-peat victory for the San Antonio Spurs against the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a solid display yesterday, the Spurs trumped the Thunder with a decisive 117 to 102 win, marking their third triumph over Oklahoma City in the past two weeks, as reported by FOX San Antonio and ESPN. The teams are set to clash again on January 13 in Oklahoma City following previous engagements including an NBA Cup semifinal victory for the Spurs on December 13.
De'Aaron Fox led the charge for San Antonio by scoring 29 points, an effort that has become a standard for the Spurs' recent success. His first-half performance, which included 21 points, helped to secure an initial 69-60 lead for his team, FOX San Antonio reports. The contributions of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, who respectively bagged 19 points and 11 rebounds and 19 points with seven assists, also played a crucial part in solidifying the win for the Spurs, who now hold a record of 23-7 and shot a remarkable 53.6% from the field in the matchup.
The loss was a rare misstep for the Thunder on their home turf, as it marked their first of the season at home and came against a backdrop of an impressive, nearly flawless start to their season with a 24-1 record at one point. Oklahoma City, who entered the day as the leaders of the Western Conference standings with the Spurs trailing closely behind, have now slipped to a less imposing 2-4 since their best start ever recorded through 25 games.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed to score 22 points for the Thunder, extending his streak of scoring at least 20 points to a staggering 102 consecutive games, despite being held to just 7 out of 19 field goals by the Spurs defense, ESPN revealed. Isaiah Hartenstein and rookie Chet Holmgren contributed with double-doubles, but despite their efforts, and the team’s initial push that led 18-12, Oklahoma City could not stave off the Spurs' offensive tide. San Antonio's Dylan Harper's dunk late in the third quarter expanded the Spurs lead to 91-74, leaving the Thunder to contend with a deficit heading into the final period.
Looking ahead, the schedule does not get any easier for either team. The Spurs will host the Utah Jazz tomorrow, while the Thunder look to bounce back when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
