Thunder Defeat Spurs 116-104 in NBA Season Opener Rematch

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs during the nightcap of the NBA opening-day triple-header at the Frost Bank Center. The matchup served as a high-stakes rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, where the Spurs eliminated the Thunder in a grueling seven-game series before advancing to the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City came out strong, utilizing a hot start to establish control and exact a measure of revenge against a San Antonio squad that ended their previous championship defense. Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the motivation driving his team after a lengthy offseason. "Obviously this is the team that eliminated us from achieving our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "But for us, I think it was more like we're just happy to be back. It's a longer summer when you don't win, and we felt that this summer."

The game featured plenty of physical play and tension between two young Western Conference powerhouses expected to contend for supremacy for years to come. Early in the second quarter, tempers flared when Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was whistled for a flagrant foul after sending Thunder center Chet Holmgren crashing to the court. The hard foul sparked an intense shoving match that resulted in multiple technical fouls being assessed.

San Antonio struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm, particularly in the first half. Victor Wembanyama, heavily anticipated to rival top performers, had a challenging shooting night by making just one basket from 13 attempts—an alley-oop dunk that came at the end of the third quarter. Despite his shooting difficulties, Wembanyama heavily impacted the defensive end with 13 rebounds and six blocked shots, finishing the game with 12 points largely aided by 10 free throws.

The Spurs mounted a disciplined start to the third quarter and managed to trim the deficit down to seven points on multiple occasions during the second half. However, the Thunder consistently answered each run and pulled away again to secure the double-digit win.

Stephon Castle led the scoring effort for San Antonio with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Dylan Harper added 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. De'Aaron Fox contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in the losing effort, leaving home fans underwhelmed by the opening-night performance.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City received balanced contributions alongside Gilgeous-Alexander's game-high scoring performance, which included six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks. Jared McCain tallied 20 points, Chet Holmgren recorded 14 points and seven rebounds, and Jalen Williams chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds to solidify the opening victory.

With the 2026-27 NBA regular season just getting underway, both young rosters face an extensive schedule to make adjustments. The opening contest, however, underscored the high competitive stakes remaining between the two conference rivals following their postseason battles.