OKLAHOMA CITY — De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 29 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 on Christmas Day for their third win over the defending NBA champs in two weeks.
The Spurs also defeated the Thunder in an NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 and in San Antonio on Tuesday.
The teams will meet again Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City and Feb. 4 in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama posted 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs (23-7) in Thursday’s matchup, and Stephon Castle added 19 points and seven assists. San Antonio shot 53.6% from the field and held the Thunder (26-5) to 38.9% shooting.
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It was San Antonio’s eighth straight win and Oklahoma City’s second home loss of the season. The Thunder entered the day at the top of the Western Conference standings, with the Spurs in second.
The Thunder are 0-3 against the Spurs and 26-2 versus everyone else; it’s the first time that a team has had three of its first five losses in a season come against a single opponent since 1966-67, according to ESPN Research.
“This is like a playoff series,” Wembanyama said of facing the Thunder three times in a short span. “We learned a lot on the tactical side [but] I don’t want to say too much about it. Keep something for us.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, but the reigning league MVP made just 7 of 19 field goals. He scored at least 20 points for the 102nd consecutive game.
Isaiah Hartenstein registered 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, and Chet Holmgren added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Oklahoma City started the season 24-1, tied for the league’s best record ever through 25 games. The Thunder are 2-4 since, including the three losses to the Spurs. It’s the first time the Thunder have dropped consecutive games by at least 15 points since 2021-22, when they won just 24 games.
“We have to get better as group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you. We have to get better … if we want to reach our ultimate goal.”
The Thunder made their first seven field goals and went up 18-12 before Fox helped the Spurs fight back. His 21 points in the first half propelled San Antonio into the break with a 69-60 lead.
The Spurs pushed their advantage to 85-68 midway through the third quarter, and a dunk by Dylan Harper late in the quarter put the Spurs up 91-74. The Spurs were ahead 95-79 at the end of the third and maintained control from there.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
