How OKC Thunder pushed back vs Wemby, Spurs in opening night statement victory

The words weren't straight from the mouths of OKC's players. But when the opening night game began that evening, they played with the same sentiment.

After being pushed to its breaking point by the Spurs last postseason, the Thunder pushed back. It earned a 116-104 road win over its budding rival, and the only thing that could be heard following the final buzzer was the sweet sound of silence from a dejected crowd.

"Obviously, our season didn't end the way we wanted it to," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And then obviously it's a team that ended our season, so there was a little bit more behind it. But we just wanted to put our best step forward today and take a step in the right direction."

As hard as OKC competed in the Western Conference Finals, it didn't quite sing the same tune that it did on Tuesday.

Its players did nothing when Devin Vassell blocked Chet Holmgren's dunk during Game 6 and then pushed him. He even intentionally bumped into the 7-footer afterwards and cussed him out to his face. The act of disrespect wasn't enough to draw a technical foul, but it should've been enough to draw a reaction from someone.

So when De'Aaron Fox threw Holmgren to the floor while battling for paint positioning on Tuesday, the big man had backup this time. All three Williamses — Jalen, Jaylin and Kenrich — simultaneously swarmed Fox, sparking a skirmish that needed to be broken up by officials.

Fox received a Flagrant Penalty 1. The Williamses received technicals, each accompanied by a $2,500 fine. Jalen said he'll gladly cover those costs. It's a small price to pay for the message they sent.

"I didn't really like the play, and I just ran in there," Jalen Williams said. "If anybody has ever been in a scuffle, there's really not a whole lot of thinking to it. It's just making sure I have my guy's back in there. ... It's the first-ever Williams-Williams-Williams T-up, so I'm happy to be a part of it."

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Of course, Holmgren had to fight his own battles too.

He had to push back on the narrative that nagged him all summer, the notion that he wanted no part of facing Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. It stemmed from his showing in the Thunder's Game 7 loss, when he scored just four points on 1-for-2 shooting from the field in 33 mundane minutes.

But the best way to handle the hate is also the best way to handle Wembanyama. You attack it head-on. Holmgren caught a pass early in the second quarter and blew past Vassell. Then he met Wembanyama at the rim and sank an acrobatic layup over the reigning defensive player of the year.

Holmgren also attacked the defensive challenge head-on. Despite being the runner-up for DPOY last season, he didn't spend much time guarding Wembanyama during the playoffs. Only a combined 14 minutes and 45 seconds throughout seven games, to be exact.

But Holmgren was the primary defender on Wembanyama this time. And Holmgren forced the self-proclaimed extraterrestrial to come down to Earth, holding him to just 12 points on 1-for-13 shooting from the field in 34 minutes.

"I just tried to be aggressive and take what the game was giving me," said Holmgren, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 31 minutes. "That was just the mindset I had."

Holmgren had all summer to process the way last season ended. So did Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn’t play his best basketball either for most of the conference finals.

The two-time reigning MVP went back home to Canada soon after that, but the disappointment of not winning a second straight championship followed him there. And even the man who eludes elite defenders with ease couldn't escape it. That's why he sent a text to his longtime trainer, Nem Ilic, during the NBA Finals.

“I’m pissed,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Ilic. “I can’t believe I’m not here right now.”

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Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't be there, but he had an opportunity to show up Tuesday. And he did exactly that.

He showed he could get the better of Stephon Castle, who walled him up last postseason. He showed officials and critics could save their breath, as the whistle only afforded him four free-throw attempts. He showed he had energy to spare after lapping defenders by playing some strong defense of his own.

Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he's viewed by many as the best player in the world. He poured in 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks on 13-for-27 shooting from the field (3 for 7 from deep) in 36 minutes.

“I thought he was really good,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s his poise and ability to answer the call. It allows you to come on the road and perform like that. It sets a great tone for us.”

The rest matched that energy. 

That included Jalen Williams, who had to watch from the bench for most of the conference finals due to a strained left hamstring. But he rose to the occasion on both ends Tuesday, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one block in 30 minutes.

Then there was Jared McCain, who sported leather gloves when walking into Frost Bank Center. Maybe that’s why he had the hot hand from the jump, as he racked up 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field (6 for 8 from deep) in only 22 minutes off the bench.

And that also included Aday Mara, who didn’t shrink under the pressure of making his NBA debut. The 7-foot-3 center contributed seven points, two rebounds and one block in 12 minutes off the bench.

Game 1 was a banger, but it takes much more than that to create a perfect playlist. It takes consistency from start to finish. It takes being willing to go outside of the comfort zone. It takes great performances by a plethora of people. And the Thunder is eager to accept that challenge.

It’s eager to deliver a season filled with hits.

“This group is hungry,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This group wants more. This group is not satisfied, and it’s a little bit more so than in the past. I can feel it. We feel it in the building. We feel it in the facility. We want more. We want to get better every day, and we’ll tick away to do that this year.”

Thunder vs. Nuggets

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Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How OKC Thunder pushed back vs Wemby, Spurs in opening night statement victory