Thunder seeks redemption on Christmas Day after two losses to Spurs. Can OKC's home court and star power overcome San Antonio's streak?
The Oklahoma City Thunder officially made the NBA Christmas Day slate this season, putting this team back where it belongs among the league’s premier must-watch rosters. This game is especially important because the Thunder draws the San Antonio Spurs, a team that has beaten OKC twice over the last 10 days. First came the NBA Cup semifinal at a neutral site in Las Vegas. Then came the rematch in San Antonio earlier this week, a 20-point blowout that turned into the Thunder’s worst loss of the season by a long shot. Now OKC gets the Spurs at home, on ABC, in a spot that feels like a real “prove it” moment even with the best record in the NBA.
The Thunder is 26-4 after losing three of its last five, and the Spurs are 22-7, meaning this isn’t just a holiday showcase, it’s a game that can tighten the standings and shape tiebreakers. If San Antonio wins again, it’s three wins in the season series with only five total matchups, which is a major edge in a Western Conference race where every half-game matters. It’s also an immediate tone-setter for OKC in front of a national audience, especially because the Thunder is still undefeated at home this season at 14-0. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like an MVP front-runner yet again, but the Spurs are riding a seven-game win streak, and Victor Wembanyama is playing like the best player in the league in his own right.
In a matchup like this, keep an eye on the role players, because that’s been the story in the first two contests. Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be great. Wembanyama is going to be great. The question is who else steps up. To this point, San Antonio’s supporting cast has been better. Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell and others have had big nights. On the other side, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein have been inconsistent in these games, and OKC needs that group to swing the margins back in its favor.
From a team standpoint, this can come down to the turnover battle, whistles and physicality, and the free-throw discrepancy, which has been a huge factor in these matchups. Most importantly, it comes down to rim pressure. The Thunder offense is predicated on getting to the rim and playing inside out, and Wembanyama has neutralized that in a lot of ways. If OKC can’t consistently collapse the paint today, the Thunder will have to rely on three-point shooting to counter it, and that’s been wildly inconsistent this year. If the threes are falling, OKC might be fine. If not, rim pressure becomes a necessity, not a luxury.
The Thunder and Spurs tip off at 1:30 p.m. Central Time at Paycom Center on ABC and ESPN.