San Antono is preparing for a big ‘test’ in the next battle with the Thunder

ByNBAUSA



Victor Vembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs they try to do the unthinkable when they meet Oklahoma City Thunder for the fourth time this season.

A silver and black victory against the defending champions would means the fourth win against the team who enters the game with only seven losses.

“If we don’t pass the test, that will be the result,” the veteran veteran Harrison Barnes he said of the lessons his young team is learning during a breakout year.

When it comes to matching the absolute best, each win against OKC was more impressive than the last.

Spurs are looking to overcome another Thunder test

When the two teams met on December 13th, it was one of the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Thunder entered the game with the best 25-game start in league history at 24-1. Although Wemby didn’t start in his first game in a month due to a calf strain and still San Antonio started slowly, they beat the undefeated. A 111-109 raised eyebrow outcome around the world of basketball.

They met ten days later in San Antonio. In what was supposed to be the defending champions’ answer to the rookie who brought them down with the basket, The Spurs pulled away for a 20-point victory against the Oklahoma City team who lost their previous three games by a total of nine points.

Two days later, they reunited on Christmas Day. This time in Oklahoma. Surely the team with the best record in the league would hold serve. Instead, the The Spurs handed the Thunder their first loss at home.

“I think it’s a new ball game,” Barnes said of the upcoming fourth round.

San Antonio enters the contest on the back of a losing streak they have lost five of their last nine games.

“I think you just have to look at these last two games to understand where we are in the season,” Barnes added, alluding to the win against the Boston Celtics and then loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“Playing two good teams, it comes down to the wire, both games, extremely physical,” the North Carolina alum continued. “That’s where we are right now. Is this same lesson going to keep coming back to us?”

Adding to the Spurs/Thunder dynamic is their similar lineup. Both are young and mostly built through the draft. Add in Chet Holmgren and both have 7-foot stars representing modern big men.

“I think these games show you how good your focus is. When we talk about execution down the stretch and we talk about whether we can get to our spots and we talk about getting two stops in a row, these are the plays, these are the examples, these are the reps that matter,” Barnes revealed.

“I think having back-to-back nights, the next thing coming up with OKC, where we’re kind of, is a good test for us,” the 33-year-old forward said.

“So we’re either going to show up to pass the test or we’re going to be in the same boat next game.”

It’s a test Spurs have passed three times already.





2026-01-13 14:49:00

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