Once is a fluke, and twice is a coincidence. But thrice is a pattern, and after the Spurs beat the Thunder for the third time in less than two weeks, it’s becoming abundantly clear that this season isn’t going to be about coronating OKC as the NBA’s newest dynasty. The Spurs may be young, but they’re ready to contend right now.
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Whereas their first two meetings were on a neutral court in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals and in San Antonio, last night’s matchup was at the Paycom Center, a place where the Thunder came in with a 14-1 record. The game played out the same way the previous two did though, with the Spurs steadily imposing their will on the defending champs.
Kendrick Perkins has said before that Victor Wembanyama is his favorite person in the league, and after yesterday’s game, he had some more strong opinions.
“They been on they a**** like back pockets,” Perk said of the Spurs. “Look, when you talk about OKC in this matchup with the Spurs, I’ve never seen the Oklahoma City Thunder get punked and a team make them look soft. That’s what we’re witnessing right now.”
Perk agreed with Thunder forward Jalen Williams’ assessment that Wemby was a huge difference-maker, but he also gave credit to the Spurs’ big, physical backcourt.
De’Aaron Fox has been a veteran leader while scoring over 21 points per game (including 29 last night), Dillon Harper has shown why he deserved to be the No. 2 overall pick, and Stephon Castle has taken another major leap after winning Rookie of the Year.
Perk had more than just flowers to give out to the Spurs, though. He also took the Thunder to task for not answering the call now that they’ve been challenged.
“I gotta get on my boy Chet Holmgren for a minute,” he said. “He’s playing soft in this matchup. Victor Wembanyama want the smoke, he’s ducking that smoke right now,” he said.
Monica McNutt said that unlike the rest of the league, the Spurs are built to beat the Thunder by limiting their ability to get into the paint and get to the free throw line.
“[The Thunder] have run into a team that is uniquely positioned both mentally and physically with their personnel to match what it is that the Thunder do,” she explained.
When asked if the Spurs are legit title contenders, McNutt and Perkins were on the same page. “How can they not be? ” McNutt asked. Perkins agreed and said, “They are, I agree. They’re legit title contenders. And look, this wasn’t just a message to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s the measuring stick because they’re the champs. This was a message to the entire NBA.”
Perk likes everything he’s been seeing from the Spurs. “They’re well-coached, they’re disciplined, and most importantly, they sacrifice. Victor Wembanyama, since returning from injury, has been coming off the bench, and we haven’t heard a damn word about it. They just keep losing themselves in the team.”
The Spurs have now won eight of nine to get within 2.5 games of the Thunder for the Western Conference lead, and they’ve become the team that nobody wants to face. OKC will have two more chances for revenge in the regular season but it’s looking like this new rivalry won’t be settled until the playoffs.
