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Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrated in the NBA season opener why he has been crowned the league’s MVP in back-to-back seasons. SGA dominated Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs, leading the Thunder to a 116-104 win to begin the season. Castle was also candid about the difficulty of defending the Oklahoma City superstar.
Following the disappointing Opening Night loss, Castle opened up about the challenge of guarding SGA, explaining how difficult it was to contain the reigning MVP without committing unnecessary fouls.
“Really trying to be physical with him, but physical enough that you don’t bait yourself into a foul,” Castle said. “That’s probably the hardest part. But it’s not really an individual thing; it’s more of a team thing.”
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With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge, Oklahoma City asserted its dominance in the first half and headed into the break with a 65-44 advantage. Castle and De’Aaron Fox tried to shoulder the offensive responsibility as the Spurs looked to mount a comeback, but the defending champions maintained their rhythm and held on to secure a 12-point victory.
Castle paced San Antonio with 24 points, shooting 9-of-21 from the field and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing seven rebounds in 28 minutes. However, one of the biggest disappointments for Spurs fans on Tuesday was Victor Wembanyama’s underwhelming performance, particularly his struggles to find his shooting touch against the Thunder.
On the other side, SGA’s scoring prowess helped Oklahoma City maintain control and withstand San Antonio’s second-half rally. He wrapped up the game with 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks.
The Spurs entered the new season after a season in which they demonstrated their strength during the regular season before reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade.
Though San Antonio ultimately fell short of winning the championship, fans still expected the young team to make a strong start to the new campaign. Now, it remains to be seen whether this disappointing opening-night loss will motivate the Spurs to respond with greater determination in their upcoming games.
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