Thunder vs Spurs: opening night rematch turns chippy in San Antonio
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Oklahoma City led San Antonio 65-44 at halftime on NBA opening night, October 20, 2026.
- De'Aaron Fox got a flagrant foul for throwing Chet Holmgren to the floor in the second quarter.
- The game was a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, which San Antonio won in seven games.
Everyone is searching "Thunder vs Spurs" today. The Oklahoma City Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs on NBA opening night. Oklahoma City took a 65-44 halftime lead in a chippy game.
What happened
The 2026-27 NBA season tipped off on Tuesday, October 20. The late game was Oklahoma City at San Antonio. It was played at the Frost Bank Center in Texas.
Tip-off came late, at 9:50 PM Eastern time. The New York Knicks' ring ceremony ran long. The game started on Peacock and NBCSN first, then joined NBC, per NBC Sports.
The season had opened earlier in the day with Boston at Detroit. That was the afternoon matinee. You can find where to watch every game this season on NBC and Peacock.
Oklahoma City started fast. The Thunder led 34-28 after one quarter. They shot 5 of 6 from three-point range.
Alex Caruso and Jared McCain came off the bench hot. Both hit their first two threes. By halftime, the lead was 65-44.
Oklahoma City hit 10 of 14 threes in the half. San Antonio shot just 29.2 percent from the field. The Thunder had 17 assists on 24 made baskets, per NBC Sports.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Chet Holmgren added 10 points, attacking the rim. He went right at Victor Wembanyama all half.
Jared McCain scored 11 off the bench and hit three three-pointers. No Spur reached double figures by halftime. Wembanyama had 8 points but missed all seven of his shots.
San Antonio had lost its final preseason game 119-109 to Utah. The slow start carried over into the real thing.
The second-quarter fight
The game turned rough early in the second quarter. Oklahoma City led 46-33 at the time. De'Aaron Fox was guarding Chet Holmgren inside.
As a pass came in, Fox threw Holmgren to the floor. The referees reviewed the play and gave Fox a flagrant foul. That is a harsh penalty for rough play.
Then players from both teams came together. There was pushing and shoving under the basket. Jaylin Williams rushed in to defend his Thunder teammate.
Wembanyama entered the mix and got into a shoving match with Williams. The officials handed out four technical fouls. A technical foul is a penalty for bad behavior.
Wembanyama got one. Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams, and Kenrich Williams got one each. The details were reported by Larry Brown Sports and ClutchPoints.
Fox is 6-foot-3 and Holmgren is 7-foot-1. Fans online could not believe a guard tossed a big man like that. The word "ragdolled" trended with the clips.
Why it matters
These two teams are not strangers. They met in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. San Antonio won that series in seven games.
The win ended Oklahoma City's hope of back-to-back titles, per ClutchPoints. This was a revenge game for the Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it himself before tip-off. "We played them 12 times last year," he told NBC Sports' Zora Stephenson.
Both teams are seen as title favorites this season. NBC Sports called them "the two favorites to win the NBA title." That is why a regular-season game felt so big.
The bookmakers agreed. DraftKings listed San Antonio as a 1.5-point favorite. The moneyline was nearly even, so oddsmakers saw it as a toss-up.
The rivalry is personal too. Holmgren and Wembanyama are young stars who play the same spot. They have battled since entering the league, per ClutchPoints.
Wembanyama was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year last season. Holmgren went at him all night anyway. The teams will meet only three times this regular season.
What happens next
San Antonio started the third quarter on a 6-0 run. The lead was cut to 61-50. Then Oklahoma City steadied the game.
At the time of writing, the Thunder led 68-58 with 8:22 left in the third quarter. No lead has been safe this week.
Boston built a 22-point lead over Detroit earlier in the day. The Pistons still came back and won 121-113, per NBC Sports. San Antonio will believe it can do the same.
Two more meetings remain this season. Expect the same edge in both. The Thunder want payback for the playoff loss.
The Spurs want to prove that series win was no fluke. The officials will be watching Fox and Wembanyama closely.
For now, Oklahoma City has made its statement. The champs were knocked out last spring, and they came into San Antonio and punched first. The NBA season is one night old, and its best rivalry already looks ready for a new chapter.
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