San Antonio Spurs Defeat Oklahoma City Thunder Three Times in Two Weeks, Highlighting Wembanyama-Holmgren Rivalry
The San Antonio Spurs have defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder three times in a span of two weeks, restoring suspense in the NBA season and marking a significant shift in the Western Conference standings.
San Antonio improved their record to 23-7 and currently sit 2.5 games behind Oklahoma City, who despite opening the season with 24 wins in their first 25 games, have shown vulnerabilities. The Thunder's sole loss during that stretch had been a fluky 20-point comeback.
The Spurs' Christmas Day victory on the Thunder's home floor was especially impressive, winning by 15 points after scoring 41 points in the first quarter. De’Aaron Fox led the Spurs with 29 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC’s primary scorer, recorded a season-low 22 points.
A notable subplot of these contests is the matchup between the Spurs’ 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama and the Thunder’s 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama celebrated Holmgren's missed shots, underscoring their developing rivalry.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander remains the Thunder’s best scorer, the Spurs applied consistent pressure that limited his supporting cast and forced inefficient shooting.
The Spurs are framed as legitimate title contenders despite their youth, highlighting them as a team capable of challenging an exceptional but vulnerable Oklahoma City roster. Given that Wembanyama is likely years away from reaching his peak, the Spurs’ recent surge could represent a lasting shift in the NBA rather than a temporary spike.
