The Oklahoma City Thunder have heard enough.
After the Thunder got off to a 24-1 start, the Spurs exposed the Thunder’s vulnerability. They beat the Thunder for the third time in two weeks over Christmas, holding Oklahoma City to a 26-5 loss for their fourth loss in six games.
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That mystique was completely stripped away when the Thunder lost at home to the Hornets on Jan. 5, and the focus has shifted to the Thunder’s problems ahead of Tuesday’s fourth game of the season against the Spurs.
The Thunder hope to restore their narrative.
With fans in the room cheering them on, the Thunder defeated the Spurs 119-98 on Tuesday night.
Victor Wembanyama tried to set the tone with two dunks on individual opponent Chet Holmgren in the game’s opening minutes. The Thunder responded with a 32-23 lead, and the Spurs chased the score to 55-52 at halftime.
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But the Thunder led 40-24 in the third quarter and 102-80 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs briefly took the lead as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rested in the fourth quarter, but they never challenged as the Thunder delivered their best reminder since the slump began that they are the defending champions for a reason.
Oklahoma City won the game with its own brand of basketball — a swarming defense that rattled San Antonio’s shooters and limited the Spurs to 40 percent shooting. The Thunder challenged shots multiple times, blocking a season-high 12 shots and often scoring easily near the rim on the other end.
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As a result, the Thunder shot 52 percent from the field that night and improved to 34-7 on the season—not bad for a team that was supposed to be falling apart. It is now enough to lead the Spurs, who are second in the Western Conference, by 6.5 games.
This story will be updated.
