Spurs proving to be Thunder's kryptonite, beat defending champs again

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Spurs proving to be Thunder's kryptonite, knock off defending champions for second time

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 11:40 PM ET

After improving to 24-1 prior to their semifinal game in the NBA Cup, it appeared as the Oklahoma City Thunder were on their way to a historic season.

Fast forward 10 days and Oklahoma City has dropped three of its last five games. Two of those have come to the San Antonio Spurs, a team that is proving to be the kryptonite for the defending champions.

A tale of two losses for Oklahoma City

The two losses in 10 days for Oklahoma City against San Antonio have come in completely different fashions. In the NBA Cup, the Thunder struggled shooting the ball, as they shot just 41% from the field and 24% from three-point range.

Tuesday, the defending champs shot 54% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Oklahoma City scored just one more point Tuesday than it did 10 days ago despite shooting much better in all phases of the game.

SPURS DEFEAT THUNDER AT HOME.

THEY WIN THEIR 7TH STRAIGHT.

IT'S THEIR LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE 2018-19 pic.twitter.com/LvsQTNoaq0
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2025

What went right for San Antonio?

Many would think that in a 130-point scoring burst, a star performance from Victor Wembanyama must've led the charge. It was not that, however, but standout performances from several other players.

San Antonio had three players eclipse the 20-point mark. Keldon Johnson led the way with 25 points off the Spurs bench, while Stephon Castle (24 points) and Harrison Barnes (20 points) carried the load for the starters.

The aforementioned Wembanyama scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in 23 minutes off the bench.

25 PTS FOR KJ pic.twitter.com/qPRksXZHlL
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 24, 2025

Will the third time be the charm?

Oklahoma City will get another crack at San Antonio on Thursday when the two teams meet on Christmas Day. If the Thunder are unable to knock off the Spurs, it would certainly be a testament to the serious threat that San Antonio is to Oklahoma City's quest to repeat as champions.

The showdown on Christmas between the top two teams in the Western Conference will be must-watch television and could be a turning point for the remainder of the season for the winning side.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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