SAN ANTONIO — Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 32 points Tuesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 in a testy regular-season opener at Frost Bank Center.
The matchup served as an immediate rematch of last spring’s Western Conference Finals, in which San Antonio eliminated Oklahoma City in seven games. Backed by a dominant second quarter and a suffocating defensive performance, Oklahoma City asserted control in a contest that also featured a multi-player skirmish during the first half.
Defensive clamps and shooting woes
Oklahoma City stifled the Spurs’ offense throughout the evening, NBC Sports reported. San Antonio shot just 38.7 percent from the field and converted 10 of 37 attempts from beyond the arc. The Thunder broke the contest open during the second quarter by outscoring the Spurs 31-16, boosted by 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range during that frame.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama endured a difficult night on offense, finishing with 12 points after missing 12 consecutive attempts and going 1-for-13 from the floor, according to NBC Sports. Despite his shooting struggles, the third-year star remained an imposing presence on defense, recording 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.
Stephon Castle paced San Antonio with 24 points, while rookie guard Dylan Harper added 18 points. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson elected to start a three-guard lineup featuring both Harper and veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, Sports Illustrated reported.
Second-quarter confrontation
The intense rivalry reached a boiling point during the second quarter when Fox threw Thunder center Chet Holmgren to the court, The Sporting News reported. Officials hit Fox with a Flagrant 1 foul, sparking an immediate confrontation as Holmgren’s teammates rushed in to defend him.
Wembanyama engaged in a physical altercation with Thunder forward Jaylin Williams, with both players trading shoves before team personnel and referees separated the scrum. Officials assessed technical fouls to four players following the confrontation: Wembanyama for the Spurs, along with Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams for Oklahoma City. No players were ejected from the game, according to The Sporting News.
Thunder roster responds to offseason changes
The Thunder entered the new campaign following a notable summer roster reshuffle. Longtime defensive stalwart Lu Dort, along with key rotation contributors Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, departed to Eastern Conference teams in cost-saving maneuvers, Sports Illustrated reported. Guard Cason Wallace took on an expanded role after agreeing to a five-year rookie-scale contract extension ahead of the season.
Oklahoma City also welcomed back Jalen Williams, whose injury absence during last season’s conference finals proved costly. Williams contributed 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting, while Holmgren tallied 14 points, NBC Sports reported. Guard Jared McCain provided an explosive scoring lift off the bench, sinking six 3-pointers on his way to 20 points.
San Antonio will look to regroup following its opening loss, while Oklahoma City returns home to host the Denver Nuggets in its home opener at Paycom Center on Thursday night.
