SAN ANTONIO —It's somewhat ironic that the Oklahoma City Thunder's greatest display of strength came as their 7-foot center was flung to the ground by a man nearly a foot shorter, but rivalries are an inexact science.
Three minutes into the second quarter, with Oklahoma City firing on all cylinders and the San Antonio Spurs seemingly unable to keep pace, the hosts' discontent reached its apex. De'Aaron Fox wrapped up Chet Holmgren and dragged him to the floor, drawing a Flagrant 1. The ensuing scuffle earned technical fouls for all three of the Thunder's Williamses: Jalen, Jaylin and Enrich. Fox and Victor Wembanyama, at the heart of the Spurs' frustrations, had been wearing them openly all night.
Wembanyama, who at that time had not recorded a made field goal, was being blitzed, bumped and bruised by Thunder hands and feet. Fox was visibly having a difficult time adjusting to a new lineup in a prime-time showing, logging the lowest usage of his career and finishing with an involvement near-identical to his rookie season.
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At the heart of it, however, was a stubborn, veteran, championship group that looked more prepared, more ready for the moment. A stubborn, veteran, championship group that didn't forget the high-fives, hugs and hurrahs from their sworn enemy on their home turf. A reminder that the Thunder, at full strength — regardless of departing pieces — are a force to be reckoned with.
"I think our collective understanding of the opponent evolves over time," head coach Mark Daigneault said following the 116-104 win. "Last year was the first year that San Antonio was on the scene the way they were — they had young players that were highly impactful. So it takes time to learn the opponent. We try to take lessons from last season, we played them a lot."
Five months ago, two Western Conference titans clawed, scratched and fought over a grueling, exhilarating seven-game series — with each contest a back-and-forth mental game of pickleball. Because of the few degrees of separation between Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the process of adapting and adjusting is a never-ending affair. Even in late October, while the emotions that come with a rematch feed the flames, it's challenging to get a true tactical read on the opponent at the other end of the rope.
But the Spurs' introduction of their three-guard lineup, a shift from what the Thunder were used to, wasn't just another wrench thrown into the mix. Such a stylistic and ideological move comes with its own challenges.
How Oklahoma City reacted, a combination of Daigneault's genius and the roster's versatility, proved vital. The Thunder decided to experiment with various defensive principles stemming from their 2-3 zone. Man-to-man shading remained a constant with cross-matching being introduced as well, putting a player like Isaiah Hartenstein on Stephon Castle and trusting the rotations behind if necessary. They swarmed when necessary and packed the paint, shortening from the corners and essentially forcing the Spurs to take a high number of corner looks. (The Thunder have won three of the last four meetings when allowing 90th-percentile or higher corner 3 rates.) San Antonio missed 27 of their 37 perimeter attempts, which might be an anomaly for a group that finished league average in makes and success rate — or it could be a blueprint for future opponents.
Perhaps most importantly, the Thunder rendered Wembanyama ineffective offensively for nearly 35 minutes. The Frenchman connected on 10 of his 12 free throws, snagged 13 rebounds and swatted six shots, but missed all but one of his 13 attempts from the field. Some of this can be chalked up to fatigue; Oklahoma City took full advantage of Wemby's obsession with being near the action by constant movement, whether by dribble handoffs or ball screens only to retreat to the perimeter and launch. Observing his performance in totality, though, the Thunder just pounced on him at every chance they got. Even in his fourth NBA season, the Frenchman still has a ways to go in the physicality department, something their rivals boast in spades. Different coverages, mixed in with timed hits and crowding, almost made Wembanyama double- and triple-think situations before reacting.
"I need to go back to playing the basketball I like," Wembanyama said. "I've got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. I'm good when I have fun … I was indecisive, overthinking it."
The brilliant — and perhaps terrifying — aspect of the Thunder, something that might have somehow been forgotten amid the Knicks and Spurs craze the basketball world was treated to, is that this team isn't that far removed from an unprecedented regular season and playoff run.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was dogged in his delivery, finishing with 32 points on 27 shots, Jalen Williams missed 11 of his 16 attempts, Chet Holmgren wasn't particularly effective offensively and Cason Wallace didn't connect on a single triple. And yet this team, at one point, held a near-30-point lead on the road. On nights when the starters are misfiring, their depth (48 points from the second unit) will carry them. Rookie Aday Mara's bright performance and admirable job defending Wembanyama was a stern indication of general manager Sam Presti's eye for talent, churning out products like a Tulsa aircraft factory in the '90s. This is a group that expects to be there at the end when it's all said and done, even if the finish line is months down the road.
"This game doesn't really mean that much," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The first game of the season. It just means you used the opportunity tonight to get better against a very good team and we did so. And that's what we try to accomplish every single night in an 82-game season and we did so tonight."