Thunder’s Shooting Woes Exposed Again in Third Straight Loss to Spurs
The Oklahoma City Thunder walked into Christmas Day with a chance to shake off their recent struggles against the San Antonio Spurs. Instead, they left with more questions - and a third straight loss to a young Spurs squad that clearly isn’t afraid of the defending champs.
The 117-102 loss wasn’t just another off night. It was the kind of game that shines a spotlight on a recurring issue: Oklahoma City’s lack of consistent perimeter shooting. And when the Spurs dared the Thunder’s role players to beat them from deep, OKC couldn’t make them pay.
Alex Caruso was at the center of that strategy. Time and time again, he found himself wide open in the corner - the kind of look every NBA team dreams of generating.
But the shots didn’t fall. Clank.
Clank. Clank.
The sound echoed through Paycom Center like a warning bell.
Caruso finished with 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-12 from beyond the arc. He added a rebound, a block, and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. But his offensive struggles - particularly from deep - were hard to ignore.
And it wasn’t just Caruso. This is a theme that’s been hanging over the Thunder for a while now.
Cason Wallace. Lu Dort.
Even when they’re getting clean looks, it’s a coin flip whether they’ll connect. That’s a problem - especially when teams like San Antonio are willing to live with those odds.
Of course, the Thunder aren’t going to stop shooting those open looks. They can’t afford to.
That’s how modern offenses function - space the floor, trust the pass, take the shot. But when the misses pile up, it starts to feel like you’re playing right into the opponent’s hands.
Caruso, for his part, isn’t backing down. “I’m too good of a shooter to keep missing,” he said after the game.
And to be fair, he’s earned some benefit of the doubt. He shot 41% from three on four attempts per game during last year’s playoff run.
The track record is there. The hope is that this is just a cold stretch - not a long-term concern.
Still, the Spurs have clearly figured something out. And the Thunder? They’re still trying to find the right counterpunch.
“They have a very clear mission and mindset within their team coming from the beginning of the year to be a great team,” Caruso said. “I think we had that through the entire season last year and this year it’s been hit or miss.
Some of that being to the top and understanding it's Game 30 of the regular season. Some of that you have to step up and throw your fastball against good teams to give yourself a measuring stick.”
That’s a telling quote. The Thunder know what it takes to win at the highest level - they’ve done it.
But they also know that the margin for error is razor-thin when your offense isn’t built around elite shooting. Last season, they got away with it because their defense was suffocating.
They turned games into rock fights and came out on top.
But if that defensive intensity slips even a little? Suddenly, the lack of shooting becomes a glaring weakness. And that’s exactly what’s happening right now.
To be clear, this isn’t panic time in Oklahoma City. It’s Game 30.
There’s still a long road ahead. But the blueprint is out there, and the Spurs have used it three times in two weeks to beat the champs.
That’s not nothing.
The Thunder built this roster with a clear identity - toughness, defense, and just enough offense to get by. It worked once.
It might work again. But if it doesn’t, there are some big decisions looming in the offseason.
Because in today’s NBA, you can’t afford to fall behind the curve.