The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, the two best teams in the NBA for most, will see each other again Tuesday, nearly five months after an epic seven-game battle in the 2026 Western Conference finals.
The Spurs got the last laugh, taking down the Thunder in Paycom Center in Game 7, despite superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s herculean night. While Thunder fans swear the result would have been vastly different had All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams and rising star Ajay Mitchell not been sidelined with injuries, Oklahoma City will get a chance to show what kind of machine it is when fully healthy.
San Antonio, meanwhile, isn’t going to back down no matter what, especially now that the franchise sees the Thunder as its chief rival.
Spurs Star Delivers Blunt Message to Thunder Ahead of Opening Night
There is plenty of buzz ahead of Tuesday’s inner-conference showdown, with the Spurs looking to prove why they are the reigning Western Conference champions and the Thunder out to prove why it was the champion two seasons ago. Ahead of opening night, Spurs star Devin Vassell had a cold message for the rival Thunder.
“Two teams not liking each other at all, and I think we have a couple of those right now. Pretty self explanatory. I don’t think I have to say any names, but you’ll see. And I think it starts on Oct. 20.”
Talk about what’s good for the NBA and what isn’t, this budding rivalry could run the league for years to come.
The fascinating part is how quickly things came to be. A year ago this time, no one viewed the Spurs and Thunder as rivals; in fact, the Spurs weren’t even seen as an elite team, much less a contender, while most felt the Thunder had no equal after a dominant 68-win regular season led to the first title in franchise history.
But once the Spurs showed they had the Thunder’s number in the regular season, fans picked up on a developing storm between young teams in the West. By midseason, most felt San Antonio and Oklahoma City were on a collision course to meet in the conference finals.
Who Has the Edge in Season Opener?
The Spurs are set to host the Thunder at Frost Bank Center on Oct. 20. The good news is that both teams are expected to be fully healthy, though there is some uncertainty about the status of star forward Tobias Harris, who was signed in free agency.
Based on what we saw in recent matchups between both teams in San Antonio, it seems like the Spurs have the upper hand. The silver and black have won their last two games against the Thunder in Frost Bank Center, including a dominant 27-point victory in Game 6 of the conference finals.
But it is fair to take that with a grain of salt. The Thunder haven’t had its full army against the Spurs since the two teams met last January, a game Oklahoma City won convincingly.
Barring the unexpected, the Spurs and Thunder are set for an exciting season-opening clash. We’ll see who starts the season with a statement win.
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