In the closing moments of a commanding 117-102 Christmas Day victory over the Thunder, the Spurs made as loud a statement as any press release or postgame interview ever could.
With just over a minute to play and Oklahoma City already emptying the bench, San Antonio’s two-way forward David Jones García took the floor waving a towel with theatrical confidence — a visual exclamation point on a third Spurs win over the defending champions in less than two weeks. Whether intended or not, it felt like a symbolic notice: San Antonio isn’t coming. They’re here.
This wasn’t just another regular-season clash. The Thunder entered the month as the NBA’s most feared team, with the reigning MVP, the league’s best record, and a reputation that suggested a repeat run might just be a matter of time. But San Antonio has spent December narrowing the gap — or maybe, revealing that the gap was never as wide as assumed.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put it bluntly:
“You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you. We have to get better — that’s from top to bottom.”
San Antonio’s formula isn’t complicated, but it’s becoming increasingly effective: elite point-of-attack defense, a commitment to team-first decision-making, and the towering presence of Victor Wembanyama as a defensive eraser behind it all. The Spurs swarmed OKC’s creators, bottled up driving lanes, and forced a barrage of uncomfortable threes — 33 misses in total. Meanwhile, De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 29 points, while Wembanyama anchored the defense and made the simple plays repeatedly.
Head coach Mitch Johnson praised the team’s ability to adapt and sharpen details with each matchup.
“When you play a great team multiple times in a short span, everything gets magnified,” he said. “I thought we responded incredibly well to those details as the game went on.”
Both franchises share DNA: smart drafting, player development, small-market identity, rosters constructed with purpose rather than flash. But where Oklahoma City leans on star power and pace, San Antonio thrives through versatility and collective decisions.
Wembanyama summarized it well:
“We can use everybody on the court. We’re never going to let one player take away from the collective. That’s how we beat great teams like that.”
San Antonio’s growth has been intentional — from managing Wembanyama’s return by easing him off the bench, to empowering rookie Stephon Castle as a two-way force, to balancing youth with the steadiness and spacing of Harrison Barnes. Nothing feels rushed. Nothing feels fluky. This is a team building toward something sustainable.
The numbers back it up. The Spurs are 23-7, winners of eight straight excluding the NBA Cup Final, rank sixth in offense and seventh in defense, and have had seven different leading scorers in December alone. This isn’t a team powered by one engine — it’s a fleet.
And while the NBA world often waits for April to decide who really matters, San Antonio is proving that now matters. Every win adds weight. Every challenge makes them sharper. The future is bright — but the present is loud.
If the league hasn’t already labeled the Spurs contenders, maybe it’s time they listen more closely. The message has been delivered. Repeatedly.
