Three Takeaways From Oklahoma City's Strong Win Over the San Antonio Spurs

The Oklahoma City Thunder's undefeated start to the season continued against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night.

Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (0) looks on during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder just keep rolling on.

In its fourth win of the season, the Thunder knocked off the San Antonio Spurs with relative ease, defeating them by double-digit points. The leading scorer came from a different source than usual, Luguentz Dort, who scored 20 points on an efficient 7-of-9 from the field.

Oklahoma City has yet to lose a game, nor really be challenged enough to have a serious threat of a loss. Even with a rare off-night from its franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it still found a way to secure a victory from solid performances down the lineup.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder's 105-93 win:

Chet outdoes Wemby

Let's be honest, Chet Holmgren nor Victor Wembanyama view their relationship as a "rivarly."

Despite NBA circles trying to make it out to be because of their unique skillsets at the center position and running for the Rookie of the Year award last season, neither player has ever said anything to confirm that they had disdain for one another.

That being said, anytime Holmgren and Wembanyama do meet instantly comes with lots of attention. As two of the NBA's top rising stars, it's a money matchup every time they go toe-to-toe on the court.

Last night, Holmgren had the upper hand.

Oklahoma City's potential All-Star dropped 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from deep. Meanwhile, Wembanyama could only muster up six points, eight rebounds and three blocks on 1-of-5 shooting.

No matter the circumstances, Holmgren won the battle by a wide margin this time around. They'll get a couple of more chances to go up against each other before the season ends, the first of which coming in a couple of weeks on Nov. 19.

Shai's 3-Point Volume

It's been no secret that Gilgeous-Alexander has strived to up his 3-point volume this season, but last night it wasn't as successful as in previous games.

The guard had one of his worst scoring performances in recent memory, recording 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting from the field and 2-of-10 from behind the arc. It didn't keep the Thunder from grabbing a win, but against a different opponent, it might've.

Still, it's nothing to start getting concerned about. The 3-point shot is the one area Gilgeous-Alexander could use significant improvement in, but turning into an elite shooter isn't something that is attainable in just a few games. It'll take some time.

"It's annoying, you obviously wanna make every shot," Gilgeous-Alexander said after Oklahoma City's win over the Atlanta Hawks. "It's part of the process. ... there's gonna be ups and downs. I also know how hard I work."

Once Gilgeous-Alexander unlocks his 3-point shot to its fullest potential, all the struggles getting there will be paid off.

Steals Galore

On the defensive end, the Thunder nearly made some history of its own against San Antonio.

Oklahoma City recorded a grand total of 18 steals on the night, representing the second most steals in a single game in franchise history. Its defense has held all but one of its four opponents thus far to less than 100 points, an impressive feat in modern-day NBA basketball.

Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso each added four steals of their own, while Ajay Mitchell, Ousmane Dieng, Dort and Holmgren all provided two a piece. Behind them, Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe each earned one.

The Thunder has regained its dominance on defense from last season, except it's been even better. With the amount of dynamic defenders it has on its roster, it has the ability to switch at anytime and still give the opponent a tough matchup.

Even though the Oklahoma City offense has yet to really explode, its defense is more than making up for it, especially against the Spurs.

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