The Oklahoma City Thunder kicked off the 2026-27 campaign with a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and it didn’t take long for things to get chippy between these two rival teams. Several small skirmishes broke out throughout the game, with the biggest of the bunch taking place after De’Aaron Fox threw Chet Holmgren to the ground early in the second quarter.
Unsurprisingly, a big crowd formed after Fox dispatched Holmgren, with Jalen Williams quickly going over to Fox and shoving him a couple of times. After the game, Williams was asked about the small fight, and he sent a strong message when speaking on the situation.
Jalen Williams Addresses Thunder’s Fight With De’Aaron Fox, Spurs
After an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, there were a lot of eyes on Williams to see how he would fare in the Thunder’s season opener. He ultimately wasn’t all that effective for Oklahoma City (12 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 5/16 FGM), but he played strong defense on the other end of the floor, helping OKC shut down San Antonio’s offense.
A versatile wing, Williams guarded a handful of players on Tuesday night, with Fox being one of the guys he spent time going up against. After facing a lot of backlash for his performance in the 2026 NBA Finals, Fox was looking to begin the new year on the right foot, and he ended up turning in a solid outing (14 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 6/9 FGM).
Early on, though, he was frustrated to find himself matched up against Holmgren in the paint on defense, and he purposely fouled the Thunder big man, throwing him to the ground. Oklahoma City took exception to Fox’s aggressive move, with Williams going over and shoving him a couple of times. After the game, Williams made it clear he didn’t make much of the incident, saying he was simply supporting Holmgren.
“Just be there for my teammate. That’s it,” Williams said about his mindset when approaching Fox. “I didn’t really like the play, and I just ran in there. Anybody that’s ever been in a scuffle, there’s really not a lot of thinking to it. Just make sure I’ve got my guy’s back. NBA scuffles, you just grab whoever’s close and push. It cost me $2,500, though.”
Jalen Williams, Thunder Get Off to Strong Start in 2026-27 Campaign
When you play a certain team over and over, as the Thunder have with the Spurs, tensions are naturally going to develop. These two teams are at the top of the food chain in the Western Conference, which makes every clash between them extremely important, even in the regular season. As a result, these sorts of things should be expected to happen from time to time.
At the end of the day, Oklahoma City will be pleased to have come out on top in this contest, as it is starting the year with a 1-0 record. The Thunder will now return home and prepare for their first game of the year at the Paycom Center, which will take place on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET against the Denver Nuggets.
Jalen Williams Sends Strong Message on De’Aaron Fox Fight in Thunder-Spurs Clash