Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t dress up what powered the Thunder’s season-opening win over the Spurs. For him, the formula was clean and direct, and it showed in Oklahoma City’s 116-104 victory Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center.
The Thunder star scored 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting and added five rebounds and four assists as OKC handled San Antonio in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals. Victor Wembanyama was limited to 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting.
Asked by NBC how he got back into rhythm so quickly to open the season, Gilgeous-Alexander pointed to the work behind the scenes.
“This is the game I love. I work hard in the summertime.
I come out here and trust my work. It’s that simple.
It’s not more complicated than that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I come out here with the utmost confidence because of how hard I work, and I trust it every night, and it’s been working for me lately.”
The opener meant a little more because of what happened last spring, when the Spurs knocked Oklahoma City out with a 111-103 Game 7 win.
“Obviously this is the team that eliminated us from achieving our goal, but for us I think it was more we’re just happy to be back,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s a longer summer when you don’t win, and we felt that this summer.”
Oklahoma City set the tone early and never really let go. The Thunder went into halftime with a 21-point cushion, watched San Antonio trim the margin to single digits in the third quarter, then used Gilgeous-Alexander’s push in the fourth to stretch it back out.
Still, he kept the bigger picture front and center.
"I come out here and trust my work; it's that simple."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the Thunder's opening-night win over the Spurs 🗣️
(via @NBAonNBC) pic.twitter.com/f5lbs9y4kS
“One of 82, like, this doesn’t prove anything,” he said. “We took a step in the right direction, and we got to do it 81 more times and be ready for the playoffs.”
He also said the disappointment from last season is still sitting with this group.
“This group’s hungry. This group wants more.
This group’s not satisfied, a little bit more so than in the past,” he said. “I can feel it.
We feel it in the building. We feel it in the facility.”
The Thunder now turn to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
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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 🡒]