- San Antonio Spurs (3-7) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-4)
- When: Tuesday, 14 October 2023 at 6:30pm CST
- Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Offensive Rating – SA: 108.4 (26th) / OKC: 113.6 (8th)
- Defensive Rating – SA: 119.8 (29th) / OKC: 112.0 (15th)
- Net Rating – SA: -11.3 (30th) / OKC: 1.7 (12th)
The Set-Up
Some rivalries form naturally over time. Take for instance the rivalry between the Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in the late 2000s to early 2010s. That was more of a clash of styles that turned in some highly entertaining playoff games and series. The Grit-N-Grind Grizz vs. the superstar-laden Thunder. Defense (Grizz) vs. Offensive (Thunder). It made for a good rivalry. Nothing necessarily great, but entertaining, nonetheless.
Some rivalries, though, you see them coming from a mile away. Chamberlain vs. Russell. Magic vs. Bird. Jordan vs. the Bad Boy Pistons. There’s a greatness component involved in all of this, but there’s also a sense of inevitability. Like, this was meant to happen. What we see tonight may be the next evolution of an expected rivalry. Chet vs. Wemby. The Spurs may not currently be good and the Thunder may just be beginning their rise, but it is almost the expectation that these two teams will be battling for Western Conference supremacy for the next decade. And the match-up at the forefront of all games will likely be focused in on the two 7-footers who play the game in a way that has never been seen from players that height. A lot of people will tell you this is part 3 in their rivalry (U19 and then the preseason this year). But no. This is part 1. The beginning. The genesis of what could be an intense rivalry. And to top it off, it’s occurring during an In-Season Tournament pool play game. Bring on the high-stakes play!
Injury Report
OKC
- None
SA
- Keldon Johnson (knee) – Questionable
- Tre Jones (hamstring) – Questionable
- Jeremy Sochan (groin) – Questionable
Three Big Things
- Spurs aren’t terrible – Despite what the record and stats show, the Spurs are not a terrible team. Now, will they finish with a bad record? Yes, likely. But, a lot like the Thunder in recent memory, the Spurs will hang with teams for most of the games. It’s the end of games that tend to trip the Spurs up. That experience in late-game situations is something they are severely lacking. If you allow them to stick around, though, they can be a problem. Just ask the Suns.
- Pace/Turnover Battle – This should be a barn-burner of a game. Both teams are top-10 in pace and they both like to get out in transition. Both teams average about 15 turnovers per game. It feels like the team that limits their turnovers will prevent the other team’s main offensive engine from getting started up.
- Play to your strengths – While the Spurs have good defensive players in Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio, as a team, is probably the worst defensive outfit in the league. They give up a league-worst 124.2 points per game. Meanwhile, the Thunder are one of the more efficient offenses in the league, coming in at 4th in 3-point percentage (37.5%), 1st in free-throw percentage (85.8%), 5th in effective field-goal percentage (55.7%), and 3rd in true-shooting percentage (60.1%). If the Thunder play their brand of basketball, they should win.