The Oklahoma City Thunder responded to their recent struggles against the San Antonio Spurs with a resounding 119-98 victory on Tuesday night, fueled by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's game-high 34 points. The win marked a significant turnaround for the Thunder, who had lost three consecutive games to the Spurs in a span of 12 days, including a 15-point defeat on Christmas Day.
Gilgeous-Alexander was instrumental in the Thunder's success, scoring 34 points and leading his team with a sense of urgency and aggressiveness that had been lacking in their previous meetings with the Spurs. "When we play a certain way, with a certain sense of urgency, with a certain sense of force, aggressiveness, and attention to detail, it doesn't matter who is on the other side," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Nothing that I didn't expect. I knew that if we played a certain way, we'd be able to beat anybody in the world."
The Thunder's defensive performance was a key factor in their victory, as they held the Spurs to just 98 points and outscored them 40-24 in the third quarter. The team's physical, smothering defense fueled their efficient offense, allowing them to blow the game open and secure a convincing win. According to Thunder forward Jalen Williams, "Every game feels like a rivalry at some point because we're defending champs and teams are throwing their best punch at us every single game."
But I will say this team makes us play 48 minutes of basketball to where we've got to really pay attention, and it's extremely fun to play against them throughout the season. You can feel like us making them better and them making us better throughout the course of the season as we're playing. But the rivalry stuff, I don't get caught up into it.
The Thunder's fan base, on the other hand, seems to be fully invested in the rivalry with the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama, in particular, was frequently booed throughout the game, with the crowd taking exception to a few foul calls that went in his favor. Despite this, Wembanyama acknowledged that the Thunder's physical defense took a toll on him, limiting him to just seven points and two rebounds in the second half.
The Thunder were especially effective attacking the basket, despite the presence of Wembanyama, the NBA's premier shot blocker. They finished with 56 points in the paint and made 10 of 14 shots (71.4%) that were contested by Wembanyama, a stark contrast to their performance in the first three meetings between the teams. As Gilgeous-Alexander noted, "It's never about the other team. It's always about us. We've gotten to where we've got because we've focused on ourselves."
The Thunder's win over the Spurs was a statement victory, demonstrating their ability to bounce back from adversity and assert their dominance in the Western Conference. With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge, the Thunder are poised to make a deep run in the playoffs and defend their championship title. As the season heats up, the rivalry between the Thunder and Spurs is sure to be one of the most exciting storylines to watch.
Original: ESPN
Image: ESPN
Written by Npsports
