No Wemby, No Problem for Spurs vs. Thunder

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Nov 20, 2024 10:34 AM ET

The San Antonio Spurs entered their Tuesday night NBA Cup matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder as 9.5-point underdogs, and the line only grew once Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell officially joined Jeremy Sochan on the sidelines with injuries. Wembanyama, Vassell, and Sochan are the Spurs' three leading scorers and best players, and without them, the game looked like a cakewalk for the Thunder, who had the best record in the Western Conference.

Instead, the Spurs toppled OKC, beating them 110-104 and improving to 7-8 on the season and 1-1 in the NBA Cup. The Spurs relied on a balanced offense, with all five starters scoring double-figures and Keldon Johnson and Charles Bassey contributing big roles off the bench. Harrison Barnes led the starters with 20 points, while Keldon Johnson set the tone early, scoring 22, 17 of which came in the first half.

On top of 12 points, Charles Bassey added eight rebounds and two blocks. His steady defense made attacking the rim incredibly tough for the Thunder, and he caught two lobs for easy baskets.

Down the stretch, Chris Paul hit his fair share of 3-pointers, including an off-balance one over Alex Caruso as the shot clock expired, which ended up being the dagger. His 14 points and 11 assists secured his sixth double-double of the season, already passing last season's total.

The Spurs will have Wednesday off before hosting the Utah Jazz on Thursday. San Antonio and Utah have split their last two games and will end the season series early on Nov. 26.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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