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...
Wembanyamas Opening Night Struggles Have Spurs Fans Debating One Thing
Victor Wembanyamas start to the 2026-27 season has already sparked plenty of conversation in San Antonio, and his first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder only added fuel to it. Through the opening two quarters, he had eight points without making a field goal, while the Spurs were forced to chase the game as the Thunder controlled the flow and carried an 80-70 lead midway through the third quarter.
For Spurs fans, the bigger issue has been less about one rough stretch than what it says about how the offense is functioning around him. The frustration has been obvious, with concern building over both Wembanyamas performance and the teams approach when the game starts to get away from them, and this matchup is already shaping up as an early test of how quickly San Antonio can settle in around its franchise center. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Showed Fight Against OKC But One Debate Just Got Louder
The Spurs had the kind of season opener that can leave a team feeling both encouraged and annoyed. They hung around with Oklahoma City through a game that featured multiple lead changes, physical stretches and a handful of defensive plays worth circling, even if the Thunder ultimately pulled away for a 116-104 win. The return of Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another layer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain helped steady the visitors when the game tightened.
For San Antonio, the bigger takeaway may be less about the final margin and more about how sharply the matchup sharpened the conversation around Victor Wembanyama. His back-and-forth on the defensive end with Chet Holmgren produced the kind of moments that fuel a rivalry debate, and the altercation involving DeAaron Fox only added to the edge. The Spurs showed they can match intensity, but they also left with one familiar question getting louder after a night when the other side handled the biggest moments better. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sounds Off After Spurs Let Thunder Set The Tone
The Spurs opened the season with a loss to the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama did not hide his frustration afterward. San Antonio fell 116-104 in a game that quickly tilted toward Oklahoma City, even as Wembanyama still found ways to make his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocks. His shot never came around, though, as he managed just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting in a start that left plenty of room for the Spurs to clean up.
What stood out most from Wembanyamas postgame assessment was how plainly he pointed to the issues that let the Thunder set the tone. He cited defensive miscommunication and poor closeouts, the kind of lapses that can snowball early in a season when rotations are still being sorted out. For San Antonio, the loss was more than one rough night from its franchise center - it was a reminder that the details have to sharpen up fast if the Spurs want to avoid letting opponents dictate the pace from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]