Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 Points Power Thunder to Victory Over Spurs in Season Opener - Sportingpedia - Latest Sports News From All Over the World

Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs players in a scuffle

Key Takeaways:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 32 points as Oklahoma City began their campaign with a 116-104 win over San Antonio
Victor Wembanyama was restricted to just 1-for-13 shooting and 12 points
Heated rivalry ignited early in the second quarter with a Flagrant Foul 1 assessed to Fox and four technicals handed out

Match Analysis

The Oklahoma City Thunder started their new season on a high note, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 in San Antonio last night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the Thunder offence with 32 points, helping to avenge last season’s Western Conference Finals heartbreak, when Oklahoma City fell to San Antonio in Game 7 on 30 May.

The match proved to be a heated affair, reigniting a budding rivalry less than five months after their postseason clash. The Thunder’s energy quickly reversed their fortunes, as they led for all but the opening five minutes of the contest.

Starting the season with a W 😤 https://t.co/sAX6jomecY
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 21, 2026

Player Performance and Key Moments

San Antonio’s high-profile talent, Victor Wembanyama, endured a challenging evening, finishing with 12 points on 1-for-13 shooting. His sole field goal only came as the third-quarter buzzer sounded, courtesy of an alley-oop from De’Aaron Fox. Prior to that moment, Wembanyama had missed his first 12 attempts, and at one point had an alley-oop effort denied by 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara.

Jared McCain provided significant support for Oklahoma City, contributing 20 points, including an impressive 6-of-8 from three-point range.

Emotions flared just three minutes into the second quarter. Fox was penalised with a Flagrant Foul 1 after a forceful tangle with Chet Holmgren, leading to a physical altercation that required officials to intervene. As a result, Wembanyama, Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams, and Kenrich Williams all received technical fouls.

Scoring Runs and Game Flow

Oklahoma City used the resulting momentum to assemble a 9-0 spurt, with Jalen and Kenrich Williams notching five points between them. Although Harrison Barnes briefly interrupted the streak with a three-pointer, the Thunder immediately strung together 13 unanswered points, capped by a Cason Wallace trey to take a commanding 59-33 lead.

By the half, the Thunder held a 65-44 advantage after outscoring the Spurs by 31-16 in the second quarter. While the Spurs narrowed the deficit with a 23-9 run to begin the third quarter, pulling within single digits after trailing by as much as 26, Oklahoma City’s leaders – Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain – responded decisively. The pair combined for 25 points in the second half, maintaining the Thunder’s cushion until the final whistle.