The Thunder won 116-104 in San Antonio behind 32 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 20 off the bench from Jared McCain. A 31-16 second quarter built the cushion, and the reserves supplied 45 points to protect it.
Where the Game Turned
The Spurs led only briefly and never by more than three, and the first quarter ended 34-28. The second quarter decided it. A 9-0 run pushed the margin to 46-30, then a 13-0 run took it from 46-33 to 59-33, and Oklahoma City went to halftime up 65-44. San Antonio opened the third with nine straight points and won the quarter 36-28, and the Thunder called time at 102-94 with 5:06 left. The answer was an 8-0 run from 104-97 to 112-97 with 1:56 to go. Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, McCain and Gilgeous-Alexander played the last five minutes that mattered.
Grading the Rotation
McCain earns an A: 7-of-9 shooting, 6-of-8 from three, a team-best +20 and six of the team's fourth-quarter points. Gilgeous-Alexander gets an A-minus for 32 points on 13-of-27 with three steals and three blocks, scoring at volume while staying active on defense. Holmgren is a B. He shot 3-of-8 from the field but went 8-of-8 at the line, with seven rebounds and four blocks, on a night Victor Wembanyama finished 1-of-13. Jalen Williams is a C: 12 points on 5-of-16 and a -5 in 30 minutes. Cason Wallace matched that -5 and went 0-for-4 from three. Caruso posted a +16 in 25 minutes, and rookie Aday Mara went 3-of-4 with a +9 in 12.
What It Means Next
The win puts Oklahoma City at 1-0 and first in the West with 81 games left. Denver visits Thursday after the Nuggets went 54-28 last season, and they will be without Julian Strawther. Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber were both upgraded from out Wednesday, with Oct. 22 as their projected return. The Clippers and Suns follow at home on consecutive nights, Oct. 25 and 26. For a roster built on development, the best sign is who won the minutes: a 22-year-old guard and a 21-year-old rookie center held their ground on a night Williams struggled to find his shot.
Who led the Thunder in scoring against the Spurs?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting. Jared McCain added 20 off the bench, making 6 of 8 threes.
When do the Thunder play next?
Oklahoma City hosts the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Oct. 22, on ESPN. The Clippers come in Oct. 25 and the Suns Oct. 26.
