Rives Mitchell & Dave Myrick
With arguably the highest expectations in franchise history coming into this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have not allowed the outside noise to throw them off their game. Opening the 24-25 campaign in Denver, OKC made quick work of the Nuggets, running away with the game in the third where OKC had a ten point advantage.
Though the Nuggets are clearly viewed as a perennial power in the West, OKC has had their way with them as of late. Chet Holmgren came to play in this one, dropping 25-14 while being the primary defender on the back-to-back NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic.
Wins over two of the easts weaker opponents in Chicago and Atlanta have propelled the Thunder to an undefeated early season record. The tests, however, seem to just get more and more difficult, especially as you find yourself with the kind of target that the Thunder have on their back currently.
The San Antonio Spurs will travel to OKC tonight to take on the Thunder. Of course, the Spurs lay claim to an Alien from outer space in the French sensation Victor Wembanyama. Victor and Chet developed a bit of a rivalry when they faced off with eachother during last season, as they were the #1 and #2 picks respectfully. Victor also edged out Chet for rookie of the year, adding fuel to the fire for tonights game.
The Spurs have another familiar face as well, in former Thunder Chris Paul. Paul played for OKC during the Covid season, in which the Thunder lost in the first round of the playoffs to Houston and Harden in seven games. Despite his brief stint, Paul was a fan favorite in OKC, so expect a warm reception for the future hall of fame inductee tonight.
Finally, it is time to predict the game.
Rives – “San Antonio is definitely a team to watch out for this season. As long as Victor keeps gaining confidence on the court, this team will keep improving. With that being said, OKC’s defense sits at #1 in the Net Rating so far through three games. This is a team that can seriously defend, with Chet down low blocking shots and Caruso/Wallace/Dort being pests on the outside. I believe they will hold San Antonio under 100 tonight en route to a 122-98 victory.”
Thunder to watch: Chet Holmgren
Spur to watch: Victor Wembanyama
Dave – “You can never write off the Spurs, especially playing against the Thunder. For whatever reason, they always get up for OKC. That being said, the Thunder are very talented offensively. With elite scorers like SGA, J-Dub and Chet, the problem for opponents now is the rock solid defense OKC has flashed this year. I like the direction the Spurs are headed, but OKC wins this one 115-104.”
Thunder to watch: Aaron Wiggins
Spur to watch: Chris Paul
Keep engaged with @rives-mitchell and @Danny_Bigmac13 on X for live tweets from every Thunder game.
Tip-off tonight against the Spurs is slated for 8:30 PM on ESPN.
