The Spurs fell 116-104 to Oklahoma City after trailing by as many as 26 in the first half. San Antonio took the third quarter 36-28 and got within seven with 3:55 left, but never got the game to a real finish.
Where did this game actually get away?
It got away in the second quarter. Oklahoma City won it 31-16 behind a 9-0 run and then a 13-0 run that turned a 46-33 game into 59-33 by the 2:56 mark. Mitch Johnson called two timeouts during that stretch, and neither one stopped it. The Thunder led 65-44 at halftime, and the Spurs spent the rest of the night chasing a deficit they had built themselves.
Did the comeback ever have a real chance?
For a few minutes it did. The Spurs opened the third with a 9-0 run, won the quarter 36-28 and cut the lead to 104-97 with 3:55 to play. Oklahoma City answered with an 8-0 run to make it 112-97. In the last five minutes the Spurs played Harper, Castle, Keldon Johnson, Champagnie and Wembanyama, so Vassell at +8 and Fox at +1, the only Spurs with positive plus-minus, sat.
What happened to Wembanyama?
He shot 1-for-13, went 0-for-4 from three and committed four turnovers. ESPN's Michael C. Wright noted that he missed his first 12 shots. He still finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, and he made 10 of 12 free throws. Air Alamo's Jahlil Williams argued that the Spurs' three-guard alignment gave Oklahoma City a way to take him out of the game. His rim protection held up. The offense needs a better answer for nights like this.
How do the grades look?
Castle gets a B-plus: 24 points, 5-for-12 from three, 9-for-21 overall and a -2 in 28 minutes. Harper gets a B for 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, plus 10 of the Spurs' 24 fourth-quarter points, though he finished -6. Champagnie gets a D: 3-for-8 shooting and a team-worst -24 in 30 minutes, which outweighed his two steals and three blocks.
What does this change before the Rockets and Mavericks?
The record barely matters yet at 0-1 with 81 games left. The bench is the bigger worry. It scored 25 points, with Keldon Johnson at -12 in 20 minutes and Luke Kornet at -10 in 13. Tobias Harris has been upgraded from out and is listed to return Oct. 23, which would give the Spurs another forward for the Rockets that night and the trip to Dallas on Oct. 24.
What was the final score of Spurs vs. Thunder on October 20, 2026?
The Thunder won 116-104 in San Antonio. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 32 points, and Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24.
When do the Spurs play next?
The Spurs host the Houston Rockets on Oct. 23 on Prime Video. They play at Dallas on Oct. 24.
