The Oklahoma City Thunder are opening the season with a familiar kind of test: a showdown with the San Antonio Spurs, the team that knocked them out in last May’s seven-game Western Conference Finals.
For Oklahoma City, the biggest storyline is what the starting five looks like now that the roster has changed. Lu Dort is no longer on the team, ending a run that had made him a regular part of Mark Daigneault’s starting group since the coach took over. The Thunder are also without Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, leaving Daigneault to sort through a rotation that now has to account for a healthy Jalen Williams, a growing role for Ajay Mitchell, and Cason Wallace stepping into a bigger defensive spot.
Wallace’s new five-year extension, signed Sunday evening just before the rookie-scale deadline, only added to the sense that he would be in the opening lineup. The Kentucky product has started close to half of his games in the league, though that number has been boosted by injuries around him. Even so, the expectation heading into Tuesday’s opener is that Wallace joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein as the Thunder’s first five.
San Antonio has already been more direct about its own plans. The Spurs announced during preseason that they were changing up their starting group, and Mitch Johnson has settled on a three-guard look.
The question on their side was whether De’Aaron Fox or Dylan Harper would lead things off. Johnson’s answer: both.
The Spurs used that alignment in two preseason games and said it would carry over tonight.
The matchup gives Oklahoma City an early look at a season-long measuring stick. After Tuesday, the Thunder return home to face the Denver Nuggets in Thursday’s season opener at Paycom Center.
In Other News...
Spurs Thunder Tension Boils Over On Opening Night
Opening night got chippy in a hurry for Oklahoma City, with the second quarter turning into a full-tilt confrontation between the Thunder and Spurs. It started when De'Aaron Fox shoved Chet Holmgren to the floor, and what followed drew in multiple players, including Victor Wembanyama and several members of the Williams family on the Thunder side, as the officials worked to separate everyone and restore order.
The sequence left both teams waiting on the whistle before play could settle back in, and the officiating crew wound up sorting through a messy scene with a flagrant foul and a handful of technicals. For a Thunder team trying to set the tone early in the season, the dustup added another layer of edge to a matchup that was already carrying plenty of opening-night energy. [Read more 🡒]
Aday Mara Just Gave Thunder Fans A First Real Reason To Believe
Aday Mara did not need long to make an impression in his first Thunder action of the 2026 NBA season opener. The rookie center, taken No. 12 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, fit right into a frontcourt rotation that already includes Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, and he found a way to stand out in a game against San Antonio by making his presence felt around the basket.
Midway through the third quarter, with Oklahoma City already in control, Mara helped deliver one of the nights best sequences. He swatted Victor Wembanyama near the rim, then turned around and finished an alley-oop from Ajay Mitchell, a burst of rim protection and finishing touch that gave Thunder fans a real glimpse of why the organization is so intrigued by him. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren Sparks Early Thunder Spurs Tension On Opening Night
Opening night between the Thunder and Spurs took a sharp turn when Chet Holmgren found himself on the floor after a hard sequence involving DeAaron Fox, and both benches quickly emptied in response. What had been an early-season showcase between two teams with plenty of buzz became a chippy, physical scene in a hurry, with the officials moving in to calm things down before play could continue.
Once order was restored, the game resumed with San Antonio still chasing Oklahoma City in the second quarter. The incident added an edge to a matchup already rich with intrigue, especially with Victor Wembanyama on the floor and the Thunders young core right in the middle of the fray, a reminder that this rivalry may not need much time to boil over again. [Read more 🡒]