The Oklahoma City Thunder were among the main topics of conversation in NBA spaces on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after taking down the San Antonio Spurs on opening night.
After falling to Victor Wembanyama and company in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, OKC traveled to the Lone Star State for a playoff rematch to start the 2026-27 NBA season.
This time, Mark Daigneault's team got the better of San Antonio, coming out with a 116-104 victory led by a strong performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an impressive defensive effort against Wembanyama.
Among the key differences in Tuesday's matchup and the Western Conference Finals was the Thunder's health. Both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were back on the court after missing most of the playoff series between the two teams.
Neither player starred in their return, but Williams and Mitchell both played important roles in the Thunder's victory.
Williams made multiple timely shots in the second half to help fend off Spurs' comeback attempts and played solid defense throughout the contest, while Mitchell moved the ball well as a passer and helped set up multiple teammates for open looks.
Williams finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, shooting 5-of-16 from the field 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 1-of-2 from the free throw line. Mitchell tallied four points, six assists, five rebounds and a turnover while shooting 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-1 from beyond the arc.
Despite his shooting struggles, Mitchell still played 23 minutes off the bench for Oklahoma City, the fifth-highest of any player on the roster.
The third-year guard didn't produce the same scoring output observers became accustomed to the last time Mitchell was fully healthy, when he averaged 22.5 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 56.3% from the field and 25% from 3-point range against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, but the former second-round pick still played an important role for the Thunder.
Mitchell averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range in 2025-26, and will likely return to his typical scoring output throughout the rest of the season.
Additionally, Mitchell also struggled against San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals, shooting 38.9% from the field while averaging seven points, 3.5 assists, two rebounds, three steals and 1.5 turnovers in Games 1 and 2 before leaving Game 3 with an injury.
Despite his struggles, though, Mitchell showed why he is important to OKC's gameplan against San Antonio on opening night even though his shot wasn't falling.
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