Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anticipates a rivalry brewing between the Spurs and Thunder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their second game of the season on Saturday night, falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals.

"It's pretty evident if no-one gets the time, no-one can turn it around," says Thomas Frank as Spurs beaten at Nottingham Forest.

Returning Victor Wembanyama inspired San Antonio, snapping OKC’s undefeated run and setting up a captivating climax on Tuesday

Beating OKC was a huge win for the Spurs. The Thunder carried a 16-game winning streak into the game, with their last defeat on November 5 against Portland, according to the Associated Press. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who received "MVP" chants from the Spurs pro-crowd, returned from a 12-game absence with 22 points and nine rebounds.

LAS VEGAS — It made for quite the coincidence and convenience that the return of Victor Wembanyama and the return to Earth by the Oklahoma City Thunder would happen on the same night, inside the same arena and during the same Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal game, twin forces that understandably produced a spectacle.

Wembanyama returned after missing a dozen games and had 22 points, nine rebounds and was +21 in 21 minutes of play.

The Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't slow down Victor Wembanyama in their 111-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday. That snapped a franchise-best 16-game win streak.

After losing only eight games at home in the entire season, the Black and Silver left Texas with nothing to show. Worse, they were manhandled in Game 3 in Los Angeles, prompting Gregg Popovich to wonder whether his boys stopped believing in themselves.