The OKC Thunder's first Christmas Day game since 2018 was spoiled on Thursday.
OKC suffered a 117-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center. The Thunder (26-5) has now lost all three of its games against the Spurs (23-7) this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. He went 7 for 19 from the field (1 for 6 from deep).
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
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Intensity wasn't the issue for the Thunder
The Thunder, a team that has reached the highest level in basketball, isn't afraid to get familiar with the floor.
OKC showed that midway through the first quarter when Kenrich Williams went for a steal and collided with Victor Wembanyama, making both players hit the hardwood. But the Thunder forward, tangled in a web of Wembanyama limbs, managed to pry the ball away and spark a fastbreak.
Jalen Williams then ran up the floor and missed a layup. But in came Cason Wallace, who briefly defied the laws of gravity with a high-flying offensive rebound. And when it caught up to him, sending him crashing down to the floor, he handed the ball back to Jalen Williams.
Finally, the All-NBA forward fearlessly drove into a crowded lane and drew a hard-earned foul. Paycom Center erupted, but nobody was more hyped than Jalen Williams, who flexed his muscles and dapped up his teammates.
Effort plays were plentiful throughout the game for OKC, as intensity wasn't the issue. Its players sacrificed their bodies for loose balls, battled for offensive boards and played with physicality.
But the Thunder wasn't able to string together stops against the Spurs, who shot 54% from the field and 38% from deep. It also struggled to space the floor, going 25% from deep.
De'Aaron 'Swipa' Fox stole the show
De'Aaron Fox had to improvise.
The Spurs' speedy guard, who's appropriately nicknamed "Swipa," blazed a trail to the basket early in the third quarter. But his layup attempt was disrupted in mid-air when the ball got dislodged by a Thunder defender.
Fortunately, Fox thinks as fast as he moves. And after regaining possession, he got creative by releasing a fadeaway jumper that found the bottom of the net.
That split second of spontaneity was the only time Fox wasn't in full control on Thursday. He calmly cashed in on 3-pointers. He stayed composed with limited breathing space on mid-range jumpers. And he showed no signs of claustrophobia, navigating crowded lanes for layups.
Fox finished with a game-high 29 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. He went 12 for 19 from the field (3 for 4 from deep).
San Antonio is a championship contender
Fox handed out high-fives. Keldon Johnson wrapped his arm around Dylan Harper while smiling. And San Antonio's bench spilled onto the floor as OKC burned a timeout.
The Spurs had opened up a 106-91 lead with 6:07 left in the game, and a once-rowdy Paycom Center crowd had mostly gone silent. The only section making noise was 219, where a group of San Antonio fans rose to their feet behind their team's bench.
"Go Spurs go," they chanted. "Go Spurs go."
On a day that's supposed to be about giving, San Antonio snatched the hearts of many people in Oklahoma City with an impressive win over the reigning champs. Its third in as many meetings this season.
And while there's a lot of basketball left between now and the playoffs, the Spurs have made a statement these past few weeks. They're legitimate championship contenders.
Tip-ins
- OKC was without Ousmane Dieng (right calf strain), Ajay Mitchell (concussion protocol), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgery recovery), Nikola Topić (surgery recovery) and Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 102 straight games. It's the second-longest streak in NBA history, only trailing Wilt Chamberlain (126).
- San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the seventh straight game as he continues to recover from a left calf strain. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Thunder vs. 76ers
TIPOFF: 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (FanDuel Sports Network)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder falls to Spurs on Christmas, marking third loss to San Antonio