Overview
- San Antonio beat the defending champions 117-102 in Oklahoma City to cap three wins over the Thunder in roughly 12 days, with Wembanyama posting 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
- The loss snapped OKC’s 14-0 home start and left the Spurs within about 2.5 games of the West lead after an 8-1 stretch over their last nine outings.
- Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder must “look in the mirror,” Jalen Williams likened the Spurs to a younger OKC, and coach Mark Daigneault praised San Antonio’s cohesion beyond Wembanyama’s impact.
- De’Aaron Fox scored 29 on Christmas as Stephon Castle continued to excel at both ends and rookie Dylan Harper added timely production, underscoring the guard-driven mismatch analysts have highlighted.
- Wembanyama said the Spurs learned “a lot on the tactical side” but would keep details private, while a late-half collision involving Lu Dort drew fan criticism even as Wembanyama finished the game and outperformed Chet Holmgren statistically.