The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a convincing response Tuesday night, rolling past the San Antonio Spurs 119-98 at Paycom Center to secure their first victory in four meetings this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and set the tone early as Oklahoma City improved to a league-best 34-7 at the midpoint of the season.
The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games and remained on pace to match last season’s 68-14 regular-season finish despite being shorthanded.
Oklahoma City played without top rebounder Isaiah Hartenstein and perimeter stopper Lu Dort, yet still limited San Antonio to 40 percent shooting from the floor.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 points in the opening quarter, helping the hosts build a 32-26 lead while controlling the tempo against a Spurs team that entered second in the Western Conference.
San Antonio stayed within striking distance at halftime, trailing 55-52 behind steady scoring from Stephon Castle and interior activity from Victor Wembanyama.
The game turned decisively in the third quarter when Gilgeous-Alexander converted an and-one to give Oklahoma City a 73-62 advantage, extending his streak to 111 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
That moment sparked a surge as the All-NBA guard scored 15 points in the period, pushing the Thunder ahead 95-76 entering the fourth.
Jalen Williams added 20 points on efficient shooting, providing secondary scoring that kept San Antonio from loading up defensively.
Chet Holmgren contributed across the box score with eight points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks, anchoring the paint against a physical Spurs frontcourt.
Oklahoma City also received strong bench production, finishing with 26 assists and forcing 11 turnovers while recording 11 blocked shots.
Castle led San Antonio with 20 points, while Wembanyama finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in a matchup that lacked the late-game competitiveness of their earlier meetings.
The Spurs, now 27-13, have dropped six of their last 10 games after winning the first three contests against Oklahoma City in a two-week span last month.
The loss marked San Antonio’s most lopsided defeat against the Thunder this season and underscored Oklahoma City’s defensive adjustments.
The teams will meet one final time in the regular season on Feb. 4 in San Antonio.
The Spurs host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, while the Thunder travel to Houston for a matchup with the Rockets.
