Spurs achieve a triple sweep over Thunder, a first in the NBA in 59 years! Are the defending champions facing their toughest challenge yet?

December 14th NBA Cup semifinal, Spurs edged out Thunder 111-109, snapping Thunder's 16-game winning streak with Wembanyama back on the court;

December 24th regular season game, Spurs dominated 130-110 by 20 points, with Keldon, Castle, and Barnes all scoring 20+, handing the defending champs their first double-digit defeat of the season;

Today, the Spurs defeated the Thunder 117-102 away, securing their third win against the league's top team within two weeks, ending Thunder’s home unbeaten streak and claiming an eight-game winning streak themselves.

Wembanyama continued coming off the bench for 26 minutes, shooting 6 of 12, hitting 2 of 3 from three-point range, making all 5 free throws, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block!

Fox scored 29 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Castle added 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists, Barnes contributed 15 points and 6 rebounds, Harper had 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Of the Thunder’s first five losses this season, three came against the same opponent, a first in the NBA in nearly 59 years.

Alexander expressed after the game:

“As a team, we have to improve. Losing three times in a row to the same team in a short period means they are simply better than us.”

Borrowing a phrase from esports:

That’s definitely the strictest kind of father…

The “good news” is the Thunder will face the Spurs two more times.

The NBA Cup semifinal matchup is uncertain, counted in regular season records but not scheduled officially, so these two teams will play five times in total.

If it ends up being a five-game sweep, that would be quite entertaining.

One or two wins can be considered “coincidences” in a long season.

In the NBA world, even the last-place team winning against the Thunder on a hot shooting night wouldn’t surprise anyone.

However, ladies and gentlemen, a “triple sweep” carries weight—it’s basically equivalent to a playoff series.

How does a historically great regular season team meet their nemesis?

Let’s analyze how the Spurs managed this feat.

Those who have followed my updates know I’ve long favored the Nuggets as the hypothetical team to beat the Thunder.

The logic? Using magic to counter magic.

The Jokic-Gordon duo has proven very tough for the Thunder to handle, especially Jokic as the world’s best single point; if not for the Nuggets’ thin bench last season...

Now, the Spurs have suddenly emerged; what is their approach?

It’s all about matchups.

Before facing the Spurs this season, OKC had nearly swept everything; what was their secret?

Historic-level defense.

They rank first in defensive efficiency, second in steals, and first in points off turnovers.

There are so many players who can lock down opponents.

Once they ramp up defensive intensity and run fast breaks, most teams can’t handle it.

So why aren’t the Spurs afraid?

We’ve praised Wembanyama, this nuclear weapon, many times.

He’s undoubtedly crucial, especially on defense, essentially controlling the paint alone while also holding off the matchup against Holmgren.

But besides him, don’t overlook one fact: the Spurs have enough capable ball handlers.

Fox, Vassell, Castle, Harper, Keldon... and Sohan.

Modern basketball clearly emphasizes size, physicality, and speed.

The Spurs can confront the Thunder using the Thunder’s own aggressive style.

What’s this called? “Fight fire with fire.”

Young fans often ask naive questions: “Why can’t my team play the Thunder like the Spurs do?”

Bro, the study methods of top students aren’t something you can just copy.

Let’s take the Lakers for example—what athleticism do they have? Do you expect Kleber and Ayton to protect the rim?

What about the Warriors—what height do they have? Who do you expect to guard the boards?

The Spurs’ strength lies in their roster configuration, which isn’t intimidated by the Thunder.

Looking at recent seasons, the Thunder aren’t without flaws.

For example, their lifeline has always been the 3 and 4 positions; besides the twin towers, other players lack size. Why couldn’t they handle Washington in the Mavericks series? Why were they dominated by Aaron Gordon last season?

There’s an explanation for all this...

Another Thunder weakness is inconsistent shooting.

In the three losses to the Spurs, their three-point shooting was 9 of 37 (24.3%), 12 of 30 (40%), and 11 of 44 (25%) respectively.

Controlling turnovers and preventing Thunder fast breaks while testing their three-point shooting is the key to victory.

This is the logic, and currently, the Spurs are undoubtedly the team executing it best.

If these two teams meet in the playoffs, it’s likely to start from a six-game series...

Until the champion falls, the champion remains the champion.

Don’t underestimate the Thunder because of these three losses; you might not like their style.

But their strength is undeniable.

Thunder fans can’t deny one thing:

Dort plays dirty...