The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2026-27 NBA season with championship aspirations, but their opening-night performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder left Spurs fans looking for answers.
San Antonio suffered a 116-104 loss Tuesday night at the Frost Bank Center, with superstar Victor Wembanyama enduring one of the most frustrating offensive performances of his young career.
Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks but shot just 1-of-13 from the field, converting a career-low 7.7% of his attempts.
The French superstar missed his first 12 shots before finally connecting on an alley-oop dunk from De'Aaron Fox as the third quarter expired.
Despite struggling offensively, Wembanyama remained a significant defensive presence, recording six blocks while helping San Antonio remain competitive in the second half. However, Oklahoma City's defense made life difficult for the Spurs' star throughout the night.
Thunder big men Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and rookie Aday Mara provided a physical defensive challenge, limiting Wembanyama's opportunities around the basket and forcing him into difficult shots.
The struggles came in a highly anticipated rematch of last season's Western Conference finals, when San Antonio eliminated Oklahoma City in seven games.
This time, the Thunder controlled much of the contest.
Oklahoma City built a commanding 65-44 halftime lead behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with a game-high 32 points. The Spurs attempted to rally in the second half, cutting the deficit to seven points, but it wasn’t enough to steal the victory from the Thunder.
Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 24 points, while Dylan Harper contributed 18 and Fox added 14.
For Wembanyama, the disappointing performance was a sharp contrast to the dominant play that helped establish him among the NBA's elite last season.
The 22-year-old averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks during the 2025-26 campaign, earning All-NBA First Team honors.
Following Tuesday's loss, Wembanyama acknowledged that his offensive struggles were partly the result of his own decision-making.
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"I need to go back to playing the basketball I like," Wembanyama said, according to ESPN.
Although it's only the first game of the season, the performance serves as an early reminder of the challenges San Antonio will face as expectations continue to rise.
The Spurs will look to bounce back Friday against the Houston Rockets, giving Wembanyama an opportunity to put his difficult opening night behind him.