Spurs – Thunder, the next great rivalry of the NBA?

Obviously there was Lakers-Celtics, Pistons-Bulls or even Knicks-Heat and more recently Cavaliers-Warriors… What if last night we had a glimpse of the next great rivalry in the NBA with this opposition between the Thunder and the Spurs ? After OKC’s setback in the semi-finals of the NBA Cup against its partners from Victor VembanyamaShai Gilgeous-Alexander answered the question.

“Maybe. Yes, there’s a good chance . . .” corresponds to the 2025 MFA. “They’re young, really good, really talented and playing the right way. They’re playing really good basketball. Definitely, it’s a possibility. I’ve noticed that within a few years, anything can happen. So, yeah, it’s not 100% certain, but it’s definitely a possibility, without a doubt.”

“They have a very good defense and a real defensive monster”

There is no doubt about the supremacy of the Spurs on Saturday night. Like their leader, who lost five balls, the Thunder did not have their usual control and their will was imposed by Wembi and his partners.

“We can’t think we’re spoiled. We can’t think we’re above everything. We, like every team in the league, if we go in one night without doing the things necessary to win, we’re probably not going to win, regardless of talent or record. That was the case with us tonight.” assessed by the SGA. “They, like I said, especially after the first quarter, forced the fight and really controlled the game on both ends of the floor. So, yeah, they deserved to win.”

And unsurprisingly, the introduction of Victor Wembanyama changed everything, with Spurs better managing the “small details” of the meeting.

“It’s a combination of a few things. Obviously, they have great defense and a real monster defense that takes away access to the racket and the rim.” he emphasizes. “Then, I don’t think we moved the ball well enough. A lot of that probably comes down to me. Against a team that’s going to close the paint, you’ve got to be able to move guards out wide and into the corners, things like that. I think we did that well enough. But we could have sat there and said we missed we missed. basketball is never about shots that are made or shots that are missed.