Thunder Star Gilgeous-Alexander Says Spurs Game Is Not Their Super Bowl

Oklahoma City Thunder finally broke their losing run against the San Antonio Spurs, winning 119-98 at PayCom Center after three straight defeats, including the NBA Cup semi-finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 34 points, five rebounds, five assists and four blocks, while Jalen Williams scored 20. The reigning champions moved to 34-7, and the Spurs stayed second in the Western Conference at 27-13.

Despite the history between the teams this season, Gilgeous-Alexander dismissed any idea that this matchup carried extra meaning or rivalry. "This wasn't our Super Bowl. It was just another game in an 82-game season," said the MVP. The comments matched the Thunder dressing room tone, which stressed routine focus rather than emotional build-up around

San Antonio.

Gilgeous-Alexander then explained how the Thunder performance reflected their preferred style rather than any Spurs-specific plan. "This result tells us that when we play a certain way, with a certain sense of urgency, with a certain sense of force, aggressiveness, and attention to detail, it doesn't matter who is on the other side. Nothing that I didn't expect. I knew that if we played a certain way, we'd be able to beat anybody in the world. It's never about the other team. It's always about us. We've got to where we've got because we've focused on ourselves. "

Williams echoed that view and focused on how both sides challenge each other over four quarters. "I will say this team makes us play 48 minutes of basketball to where we've got to really pay attention, and it's extremely fun to play against them throughout the season. You can feel like us making them better and them making us better throughout the course of the season as we're playing. But the rivalry stuff, I don't get caught up into it. " The forward underlined mutual improvement rather than any emotional feud.

Goodnight pic.twitter.com/0L35QVEE2BOKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 14, 2026

San Antonio stayed close during the first half, helped by Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, most of them before the interval. After the break, Oklahoma City took control, outscoring the Spurs 64-46. Defensive pressure increased, and the Thunder offence spread contributions around Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams to close out the contest with authority.

Despite the heavy second-half deficit, Wembanyama felt the Thunder largely kept to their usual approach. "Of course, they came prepared, but I don't think they changed too many things," Wembanyama said. "They trusted their own identity. " The comments matched what Gilgeous-Alexander had described, with Oklahoma City relying on their established system and rhythm.

Thunder vs Spurs season context and Western picture

The result ended a difficult mini-series for Oklahoma City against San Antonio, after three earlier losses and the NBA Cup semi-final exit. It also tightened the Western Conference race near the top, with the Thunder strengthening their record at 34-7 while the Spurs slipped to 27-13. Talk around the league about a growing Thunder vs Spurs rivalry continued, even as players on both sides downplayed that narrative.

The win reinforced Oklahoma City’s belief that disciplined execution, rather than emotional build-up, shapes their chances against San Antonio and other Western contenders. For the Spurs, the game highlighted strong first-half stretches but also areas to adjust after the interval. Both teams left the floor viewing these Thunder vs Spurs meetings as demanding tests that could influence their positioning later in the season.