Sport Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder

I’m undecided what to jot down on the heels of the Silver and Black handing the Thunder a 20-point loss.

Is it odd that the league scheduled a set of back-to-back video games towards the Thunder, particularly because the intention was clearly to make Spurs v. Thunder a marquee Christmas occasion? Sure, sure it’s.

Alternatively, I don’t assume the league counted on San Antonio seemingly having Oklahoma Metropolis’s quantity as they’ve to date. Which can also be odd, as a result of why would you need these groups on nationwide tv should you absolutely count on certainly one of them to kick the opposite one round?

I’d wish to credit score the league workplace with anticipating what the Spurs have turn into/have gotten, however I don’t purchase it.

All I feel is that they had been hoping to stir the Wemby v. Chet narrative a bit extra, and man, has that backfired.

Even in restricted minutes, Wemby has achieved the whole lot he can to visibly humiliate Chet Holmgren, and has principally succeded. Nothing about it appears like Ali/Frazier or Foreman/Ali. Extra like Tyson/Spinks should you ask me. Tyson/Holmes, at greatest.

Nonetheless, 2-0 is simply holding down house courtroom within the playoffs.

These younger Spurs, fiery although they’re, nonetheless have extra to show, and can face the defending champs on their house courtroom (the place they’re nonetheless undefeated this season), in one of many greatest regular-season video games of the yr, nonetheless smarting after a reasonably public spanking.

Likelihood is, they’re going to be locked in. Likelihood is, they’ll be out for blood, as whispers about their resolve and their championship fortune towards the Pacers (and their defensive officiating) have grown.

They’re going to wish to halt the concept that the Spurs have their quantity from gaining additional momentum, or giving different groups a blueprint for learn how to beat them. I’d count on them to come back out sizzling, after which we will see precisely what these Spurs have in them when the tides flip, and the percentages appear stacked towards them.

Up to now, the Thunder are 0-2 towards the Spurs. There’s no manner that they like that. There’s no manner that they’re pleased about not having a rebuttal for Wemby’s commentary on “moral basketball” not directly skewering them.

They could have taken this Spurs workforce calmly within the latest previous, however now not. Now the actual video games start.

And as for the Spurs, nicely, a 3rd win wouldn’t solely give them the season sequence towards the Thunder, it could additionally function an extremely public affirmation of one thing monstrous slouching in direction of the Larry O’Brien as soon as extra.

December twenty fifth, 2025 | 1:30 PM CT

Watch: ABC/ESPN | Hear: WOAI (1200 AM)

Thunder Accidents: Thomas Sorber – Out (Knee), Nikola Subject – Out (Most cancers), Ajay Mitchell – Out (Concussion), Jaylin Williams – Out (Foot), Ousmane Dieng – Out (Calf)