Oklahoma City — De’Aaron Fox Took lead by scoring maximum 29 points in the game San Antonio Spurs past oklahoma city thunder 117-102 on Christmas Day for their third win over the defending NBA champions in two weeks.
The Spurs also defeated the Thunder in the NBA Cup Semifinals on December 13 and in San Antonio on Tuesday.
The teams will meet again on January 13 in Oklahoma City and on February 4 in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama Posted 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs (23-7) in Thursday’s matchup, and stephen castle Added 19 points and seven assists. San Antonio shot 53.6% from the field and held the Thunder (26-5) to 38.9% shooting.
It was San Antonio’s eighth consecutive win and Oklahoma City’s second home loss of the season. The Thunder entered the day at the top of the Western Conference standings, while the Spurs remained in second place.
The Thunder are 0-3 against the Spurs and 26-2 against everyone else; According to ESPN Research, this is the first time that a team has lost three of its first five in a season against the same opponent since 1966–67.
“It’s like a playoff series,” Wembanyama said about facing the Thunder three times in a short period of time. “We learned a lot on the tactical side [but] I don’t want to say much about it. Have something for us.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, but the reigning league MVP made only 7 of 19 field goals. He scored at least 20 points for the 102nd consecutive game.
Isaiah Hartenstein Recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, and Chet Holmgren Added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Oklahoma City started the season 24–1, matching the league’s best record ever through 25 games. The Thunder are 2-4, including three losses to the Spurs. This is the first time the Thunder have dropped by at least 15 points in consecutive games since 2021-22, when they won only 24 games.
“We have to be better as a group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short period of time unless they are better than you. We have to get better…if we want to reach our ultimate goal.”
The Thunder made their first seven field goals and went ahead 18–12, before Fox helped the Spurs fight back. His 21 points in the first half gave San Antonio a 69–60 lead at the break.
The Spurs increased their advantage to 85–68 midway through the third quarter, and a dunk passed dylan harper Putting the Spurs up 91–74 at the end of the quarter. The Spurs led 95–79 at the end of the third and maintained control from there.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
