Thunder beat Spurs 116-104 as Gilgeous-Alexander scores 32 in season opener
Oklahoma City built a 26-point lead in San Antonio, then held off a second-half rally. Jared McCain added 20 points in the opening-night win.
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their 2026-27 season with a 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio on October 20. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Jared McCain added 20 as Oklahoma City built a large first-half lead and withstood a Spurs rally after the break.
How Oklahoma City built its lead
Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 31-16 in the second quarter and led 65-44 at halftime, The Guardian reported. The Thunder’s advantage reached 26 points, according to Thunder Wire. The Guardian said Oklahoma City led for all but the opening five minutes, giving the Spurs little time in front despite their later comeback.
San Antonio opened the second half with a 23-9 run and cut the deficit to single digits. The Guardian reported that Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain combined for 25 points after halftime as Oklahoma City kept its lead. Thunder Wire described McCain making timely shots when the Spurs drew closer; Oklahoma City scored 23 points in the final quarter and held on for the 12-point win.
Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain lead Thunder scoring
Gilgeous-Alexander made 13 of 27 shots and finished with six rebounds and four assists, Thunder Wire reported. Its postgame player grades gave him an A-plus. McCain shot six of eight from three-point range among his 20 points, a contribution also reported by The Guardian. Thunder Wire graded McCain A-plus as well.
For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama scored 12 points on one-for-13 shooting, according to The Guardian. He missed his first 12 attempts before scoring from an alley-oop pass by De’Aaron Fox as the third quarter expired. Rookie Aday Mara blocked an earlier Wembanyama alley-oop attempt; Thunder Wire described Mara catching a lob for a score in the following play.
A rematch of the Western Conference finals
The opener was the teams’ first meeting since San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on May 30, The Guardian reported. That result ended the Thunder’s bid to defend their title last season. This time, Oklahoma City’s second-quarter surge gave it enough of a cushion to survive San Antonio’s strongest stretch after halftime.
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Sources and context
- Player grades: Thunder bully Spurs on Opening Night in 116-104 winOKC Thunder Wire (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- LeBron James and Sixers spoil Knicks’ title party as Thunder and Pistons win NBA openersThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.