The San Antonio Spurs had a dominant 117-102 win over the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Thursday. Despite the hounding defense that the Thunder has, they couldn’t stop the Victor Wembanyama -led team. The Frenchman had 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Even the Thunder’s top players struggled to shoot the ball despite their best efforts. Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists on 36.8% shooting. His co-star, Jalen Williams, had had 12 points and shot 38.5% from the field.
After the game, Williams was asked about the struggles that the Thunder has had against San Antonio. It was their third straight loss against the same team. The one-time All-Star had a blunt response and pointed at Wembaynama as the reason for their struggles.
“There’s this 7-foot-5 guy that takes up a lot of space on the floor,” Williams said.
Jalen Williams on their problems against the Spurs: “There’s this 7-foot-5 guy that takes up a lot of space on the floor.”
Said they remind him of the 2024 Thunder pic.twitter.com/0ExA6nPHO5
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) December 25, 2025
Williams also credited the Spurs with being on the same page as a whole. According to the standout forward, San Antonio players are aware of their responsibilities and perform them effectively. He also said that it’s fun to play against a team that excels competently on the floor.
Williams also said that playing against them gives the group a lot to learn.
The Spurs are being cautious with Victor Wembanyama’s minutes restriction
Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the sixth straight game against the Thunder. The Spurs are being careful with how they manage Wembanyama’s minutes, as he missed 12 straight games due to a calf strain. Following the win, coach Mitch Johnson was clear about not changing their approach when it comes to the minutes of the one-time All-Star.
“Nothing is going to make us change on that,” Johnson said. “If this game goes into triple overtime, he will not be in the game. There are no circumstances that will allow us to get outside of ourselves in that regard.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson made it clear before today’s Christmas Day game: the team won’t take any risks with Victor Wembanyama’s minutes.
Health and long-term development remain the priority,even on the NBA’s biggest regular season stage. pic.twitter.com/mbeaOtcyze
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) December 25, 2025
San Antonio has put a 25-minute cap on Wembanyama. Calf injuries have been the major cause of devastating injuries as of late. Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton all suffered calf strains in the 2025 playoffs before they each tore their Achilles tendon.
The Spurs want to avoid that from happening to Wembanyama.
