4 Takeaways: Thunder get season-opening win over Spurs in West Finals rematch - NBA.com
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 in their season opener. The game featured a strong defensive performance from OKC and a notable struggle for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama against Chet Holmgren.
Why it matters
This game sets the tone for the Western Conference rivalry and highlights the development of young NBA stars.
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SAN ANTONIO — These two Western Conference teams were logical choices to open the season against each other, since they might be the last ones standing when it’s time to crown a conference champ.
Such was the case last spring with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, and they went to a seventh game in the conference finals and laid the foundation for a rivalry that could last the next few years.
But little was evident Tuesday, when the Thunder made quite the opening statement while Victor Wembanyama could barely make a shot.
For one game, at least, OKC was a more dominant team, by a surprising margin here at the home of a very real threat. It was more than a season opener; it was an opportunity to size up their likely biggest threat.
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