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Oklahoma City Thunder HC Mark Daigneault praised the team’s collective defensive performance after holding San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama to one field goal in Tuesday night’s 116-104 season-opening road victory.
Wembanyama scored 12 points on 1-for-13 shooting, including 0-for-4 from deep, despite grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking six shots. The Thunder built a 21-point halftime lead before withstanding San Antonio’s second-half push.
Thunder sideline reporter Nick Gallo took to X, formerly Twitter, to share Daigneault’s postgame remarks. Daigneault credited Oklahoma City’s defensive execution, offensive approach, and collective effort after the Thunder held off San Antonio’s second-half comeback.
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“We were really, really good on that end tonight, and intentional on offense… Everybody was ready to play. Everybody contributed. It was a great collective effort for 48 minutes. We weathered the storm well and recentered when appropriate.”
San Antonio shot 14-for-48 (29.2%) before halftime, with Wembanyama missing all seven first-half attempts. Oklahoma City led by as many as 26 and took a 65-44 advantage into the break.
The Spurs rallied after intermission, but the Thunder held on for a 12-point road win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 32 points, while Jared McCain scored 20 and hit six of eight three-point attempts. Their contributions supported Daigneault’s assessment of his team’s offense.
Tuesday’s opener renewed last season’s Western Conference finals matchup. The Spurs eliminated the Thunder in seven games, winning Game 7 by a 111-103 score on May 30.
Daigneault did not identify a primary defender or detail the Thunder’s defensive coverage against Wembanyama. However, Oklahoma City’s collective effort helped secure a 116-104 season-opening victory over the same Spurs team that ended the Thunder’s season less than five months ago.
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