The Oklahoma City Thunder finally picked up their first win against the San Antonio Spurs, and it took them four games to do it. The defending champions breathed a huge sigh of relief after avoiding a regular-season sweep, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, true to his confident self, declared that the game was not as important as the external noise made it seem.
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Before the Thunder’s first loss to the Spurs, they looked seemingly unbeatable, barring flukes. But Victor Wembanyama and company exposed glaring flaws and showed the league that beating them was possible. Gilgeous-Alexander, after finally avoiding defeat against the Frenchman, admitted that the Thunder did not see this coming.
The Spurs made them uncomfortable, but the reigning MVP feels that it was how they grew as a team. That’s what ultimately led them to their 119-98 win earlier today.
“They got the better of us the last three times we played them [and] that doesn’t happen to this group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I can’t remember the last time its happened. But yeah, uncomfortable feelings and adversity is where you find growth that defines who you are.”
“And we showed that tonight,” the Canadian star added, before taking a dig at the magnitude of the occasion for the Spurs.
“Tonight wasn’t our super bowl. It wasn’t anything but another game in an 82 game season. We gotta [keep] finding ways to be better.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after win vs. Spurs:
“Tonight wasn’t our Super Bowl.”
(via @NBAonNBC) pic.twitter.com/wS4hsNyjqs
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 14, 2026
Was this Gilgeous-Alexander trying to be nonchalant? Perhaps. Losing to a team four times in a regular season would have clearly shown the rest of the NBA that the Spurs were a true kryptonite for the Thunder. And although it does not matter in the long run, no team would want that next to its record.
The discussion will be over for now. The Thunder showed that they can beat the Spurs. Next, they may meet in the post-season where winning actually means more. If the Thunder fail there, Gilgeous-Alexander’s “this wasn’t our superbowl” comment would surely be revisited.
Thunder vs Spurs may very well be the NBA’s next big rivalry.
