The San Antonio Spurs have landed in Oklahoma City to play the defending champion Thunder.
The Thunder are standing at the Paycom Center entrance happy to welcome the young Spurs to their first major test of the season.
Oklahoma City hasn’t lost a game in over a month; they enter Game 1 with a perfect 8-0 postseason record after sweeps against the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.
San Antonio, meanwhile, is 8-3 so far this postseason and is coming off a dominant series-clinching victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But, according to one Western Conference executive, the Spurs are about to face an “uncomfortable” reality in the conference finals they have not yet been exposed to.
“This is a chess match,” the scout told ESPN. “Oklahoma City does the best job of highlighting a players’ limitations. They make any player uncomfortable. They will make San Antonio uncomfortable.”
What Does San Antonio Have Up its Sleeve?
The Spurs are young, unassuming and fearless.
But, boy, so are the Thunder.
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this iteration of Oklahoma City is in its third (technically second) playoff run. But one assistant coach in the Western Conference warns the Thunder from two years ago are night and day different compared to now.
“That Thunder team from two years ago is a JV team compared to this year,” the assistant coach said. “It’s not even a comparison.”
The glaring difference between the 2023-24 Thunder and the present team is their personnel. When they lost in the semifinals in 2024, they didn’t have Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartstein — three of their top six players.
Spurs fans’ biggest point of contention lies in having Victor Wembanyama, who is still young but rapidly-improving. One West scout believes Wembanyama, if he is at his best, could be that calming force the Spurs need to keep step-for-step with the reigning champions.
“I think having Victor is the great equalizer to everything the Thunder do,” the scout said. “I think they have the athleticism, the switching and the footspeed to be able to compete defensively to be able to guard OKC, and enough different looks to throw at Shai. And on the other end, the reality is the Thunder are as dominant as they are because of their defense. They’re one of the best defenses I’ve ever seen.”
In the End, it’s Still a Winning Scenario for San Antonio
GettyChet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs battle for a rebound during the first half at Paycom Center on January 13, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In the grand scheme of things, the Spurs should not be expected to beat the Thunder.
Not because they are flatly worse and can’t contend, but because of historical precedent.
The Spurs won 30-something games last season and are in the conference finals this season. That is already a major indicator of their ceiling and how great they can be. But history has reminded us time and time again that, to be a champion, you have to get your heart broken.
You have to fall short. Maybe even way short.
You have to taste failure. The Thunder tasted failure in 2024.
The Spurs are still in a winning position from the standpoint of learning from a major experience. This series will make them better positioned to win a championship in the coming years.
Oklahoma City rides several major advantages into this series. From experience and starpower to coaching.
The Thunder went through a war before winning the title last season; they are ready for anything now. In this conference finals against the Spurs, the Thunder possess arguably four of the five best players in the series, starting with NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down to Mitchell, who has produced nearly 20 points per game this postseason.
The Thunder won’t take the Spurs lightly. Because they don’t take anyone lightly. That’s just the makeup of their organization.
But they have every reason to feel in control of their own destiny.
Spurs Hit With ‘Uncomfortable’ Warning Before Game 1 vs. Thunder