Thunder-Spurs was hyped as Holmgren vs Wembanyama. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the show.
It was meant to be a battle of the titans.
A window into the next decade, the first of many meaningful meetings, the emphatic beginning of a new era.
It was the reasoning behind a national broadcast, behind fans wearing clashing orange and black jerseys, behind the clamoring every time Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama.
So many that filed into the Paycom Center on Tuesday expected the game’s two young, budding giants to be the stars of their first regular-season standoff. Instead, they left the Thunder’s 123-87 win with a reminder that Oklahoma City remains Shai Gilgeous-Alexander country.
He galloped in transition. He pumped the brakes on defenders, forcing them into yoga poses while he pulled up from his sacred midrange zones. He floated basketballs perfectly at any angle necessary to avoid the hands of Wembanyama or Zach Collins. SGA’s pace became too much for even 6-foot-8 Jeremy Sochan, tallying 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting, five assists and six boards.
And still, perhaps none of that was the highlight of his night. In just 28 minutes (he’d only played less than 32 minutes once all season) Gilgeous-Alexander snagged a career-high seven steals.
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With point-of-attack defenders like Lu Dort and Cason Wallace, plus a rim protector like Holmgren, much of what Gilgeous-Alexander has done defensively this season has seemingly been swept under a rug.
“It definitely gets overshadowed sometimes by the stuff he does on the offensive end,” Holmgren said, “but if you play with Shai, you appreciate the way he really locks in on defense.”
He made it impossible to miss him on Tuesday.
His fingers like rulers and his palms like magnets, Gilgeous-Alexander plucked unassuming ball handlers, chased lost balls, and read kickout passes. He racked up steals in every way imaginable.
Through 10 games, he’s averaging a league-best 2.6 steals per game. Clipper forward Paul George trails him with 2.3 steals per game.
“My first couple years in the NBA, guys used to target me defensively, and just as a competitor, that didn’t sit well with me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “… I just didn’t like that feeling, so I kind of took that personally and tried to change the narrative.”
SGA wasn’t alone. Four other players finished with two steals. All told, the Thunder forced 24 turnovers. If the Spurs got a halfcourt possession, it wouldn’t be for long. Entry passes directed toward Wembanyama and Sochan, while often the right idea, were deflected time after time. It was equal parts inadequate passing and hyperactive help from OKC.
OKC’s defensive intensity trickled over. From timely doubles on Wembanyama to forcing rough two-pointers from Julian Champagnie, the Thunder forced the Spurs to shoot 32.6% in the second half.
“I thought there was a conscious, collective mentality that we had,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “We kind of tried to amp it to another level.”
The Thunder truly put the TNT camera crew to work — 23 points off turnovers and 31 fastbreak points for a whiplash-inducing game that often viewed like Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer.
Show up for the birth of a potentially generational rivalry between big men, stay for a knockoff-U.S. Open and the Tre Mann and Aleksej Pokusevski two-man game.
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Sorry, Wemby and Chet agenda pushers
As much as fans and pundits alike wanted it to be great, it’s unclear whether it could’ve ever actually lived up to the hype.
Holmgren and Wembanyama’s first regular season meeting of their careers had real steam behind it. Like, the Rock versus John Cena in 2012 type of anticipation.
The build up was real: Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 alien who’d practically been handed this year’s Rookie of the Year award before the season, who’ll remain San Antonio’s clear cornerstone and burden of rebuilding troubles. Holmgren, the ever-efficient 7-foot-1 center whose early impact on OKC’s trajectory has made the race more interesting than anticipated.
And for every reason imaginable, the matchup fell flat on its face.
Holmgren, who isn’t tasked with the usage that Wembanyama is, flowed into his shots as they came. He finished 3-of-10 with nine points and seven rebounds. Wembanyama, who was sufficiently double-teamed often, shot 4-for-15 with eight points and 14 boards.
Wembanyama pressed the issue with contested midrange pullups that emphasized his other-worldly frame. Holmgren just missed shots.
Jalen Williams drew the Wemby assignment, while Holmgren roamed away from Collins. Outside of a few possessions, the Frenchman did the same.
Neither player will acknowledge the other. Their circuits break, and they digress back into talking about their teams. Asked about what he remembers from their first meeting in a gold medal game way back when, Holmgren didn’t even say Wembanyama’s name.
For as good as each player is — and as great as they’ll be — the rivalry might not ever look the way people want it to. Especially not now. The Thunder’s blowout win was emblematic of the different stages the two teams are in. Holmgren and Wembanyama’s individual reactions about their matchup are probably emblematic of the weight it’ll carry for them down the line.
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Josh Giddey navigating identity
It’s no secret that Giddey hasn’t had the best start to his third season.
His driving angles haven’t always been fruitful. His finishing hasn’t been perfect. His fit with certain lineups, and at certain points in games, has been clunky as a result.
But Giddey flushed all of that on Tuesday, delivering his best game of the season: 18 points (7-for-11 shooting), seven rebounds and seven assists.
“I’m just really appreciative of the style he played with tonight,” Daigneault said. “He was really tapped into his identity as a player. … He really ignited a lot of possessions with the first pass and just getting it reversed or advanced.
“He’s benefiting from the style that he’s contributing to.”
It’s true. Giddey found creases on the floor, both in transition and in the halfcourt, unlike he had all season. He picked his spots as well as he has all season.
Whether it was a speedy dribble pitch before relocating, an extra pass, or running with a full head of steam into a crevice that made him impossible to contest, Giddey looked comfortable.
After the game, he talked about recent conversations with Daigneault about his approach. He indicated that they’ve led to a subtle change. His Tuesday outing just wasn’t so subtle.
“Yeah, I think a lot of it just falls back to me playing how I play and what my strengths are,” Giddey said. “I think early on I was kind of hell bent on scoring the ball for some reason, I don't know what that was.”
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Time to monitor every minute detail about the in-season tournament
Now that the Thunder has actually won its first in-season tourney game, fans will have to shift their focus to small details.
It’s unclear whether OKC can actually make it to Las Vegas after losing its first two games, but in the case that it can, certain rules apply. For instance, the tiebreaker rules. And with so few games, there will almost certainly be tiebreakers.
There’s head-to-head records. Point differential. Total points. And if need be, a look back at any team’s record from a season ago.
But perhaps most importantly (and overlooked) is point differential. It’s why the Kings were still hoisting shots in an already-bagged win over the Thunder last week.
On Tuesday, with Mann and Pokusevski on a 2-on-1 break with under a minute left, Daigneault shouted for them to not shoot. It makes sense with OKC already up more than 30.
But how interesting would it be if the Thunder’s shot at a trip to Vegas came down to single possessions like that one?
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder past Spurs, Victor Wembanyama
