Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t need a speech to put his stamp on the season opener in San Antonio. He hit a turnaround 17-footer over Dylan Harper, then gave the Thunder bench that hard, icy look and got right back on defense. The message was louder than anything he could have said.
That sequence fit the tone of Oklahoma City’s 116-104 win on Tuesday, a road opener that doubled as a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals. The Thunder built a lead as large as 26 points in the first half, then weathered a late push from a Spurs team that still looks like a serious problem.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 32 points, five rebounds and four assists on 13-for-27 shooting, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range. Jared McCain added 20 points and two assists off the bench, going 7 for 9 overall and 6 for 8 from deep.
For all the star power on the floor, the night also belonged to Chet Holmgren. He came into the game locked on Victor Wembanyama and never blinked once the ball went up.
Early in the first quarter, Holmgren got to the rim after catching it on the perimeter, finished through contact and over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and kept coming at him after that. He didn’t shy away from the matchup, even when Wembanyama got a block back the other way.
Holmgren finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks on 3-for-8 shooting, a strong all-around night from a player who can swing a game at both ends.
Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another key layer. Stephon Castle tried to turn a lane into an easy two-handed dunk, but Williams came flying in from the side to swat it away.
That was the kind of play the Thunder have missed at times when Williams was slowed by wrist issues and hamstring strains last season. He was able to do a little bit of everything on Tuesday: bothering ballhandlers, jumping passing lanes, defending multiple positions, and helping on the boards even against a lineup full of size.
Williams finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists while shooting 5 for 16 from the floor.
And then there was the Thunder’s work against Wembanyama himself. Oklahoma City made the Spurs star earn every inch, and most of the night he couldn’t buy a bucket.
Wembanyama didn’t hit a shot until the final seconds of the third quarter, when he finished an alley-oop from De'Aaron Fox. Before that, he had started 0 for 12 from the field, the most misses he has ever had to open a game.
He ended with 12 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, but the shooting line told the real story: 1 for 13 overall and 0 for 4 from 3-point range in 34 minutes. OKC’s interior defense, with Holmgren and rookie Aday Mara in the mix and help coming from everywhere else, made sure the night stayed on its terms.
In Other News...
Thunder Face An Early Test As Fans Await Key Lineup Answers
The Thunder get an early measuring-stick matchup Thursday night when Denver comes to the Paycom Center, giving Oklahoma City a chance to back up its season-opening win over San Antonio with another statement against one of the Wests established powers. It is still early, but games like this tend to reveal a little more about where a team stands, especially when the opponent is just beginning its own season and the atmosphere at home is set to feel more like a postseason preview than a routine October stop.
The bigger question for Oklahoma City is not just the opponent, but the available pieces. The injury report already has a few moving parts on both sides, and the projected lineups suggest both teams may have to adjust on the fly as they sort through availability and rotation decisions. Fans tuning in will get the full stage on national television, but the real intrigue is whether the Thunder can keep the momentum going while waiting for some of their key lineup answers to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Opener Has An Unexpected Subplot Tied To The Thunder
The Nuggets season opener against Oklahoma City already had a little extra edge, and now it comes with another subplot for Thunder fans to track. Denver has listed Spencer Jones as questionable because of bilateral hamstring injury management, while guard Julian Strawther is out with a left knee sprain, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that will open the regular season spotlight between two teams with plenty of familiarity.
For the Thunder, the injury picture is familiar in its own way, with Otega Oweh, Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic all sidelined as they continue recovering from surgeries. Jones is the name to watch here, especially given how this matchup has taken on added offseason context, and his status could affect how Denver lines up when the ball goes up for a game that already had plenty of attention around it. [Read more 🡒]
Aday Mara Faces A Brutal Thunder Test In Home Opener
Aday Maras home opener arrives with a very different kind of assignment, and for a rookie trying to carve out a role, the timing could not be much tougher. After showing some defensive promise in his previous game against Victor Wembanyama, Mara heads into a matchup with the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic, a far more established test for a young center still learning what NBA possessions demand on a nightly basis.
Maras last outing offered a glimpse of why Oklahoma City is interested in his development, but it also came with a reminder that opportunity can be fleeting. His minutes were limited, and there is no guarantee he gets the same kind of runway against Denver, where the Thunder may need to balance his growth against the realities of facing one of the leagues most demanding stars. [Read more 🡒]