NBA – Spurs continue to pay for reigning champion, double-double for Victor Vembanyama

The Spurs are confirmed to be the Thunder’s kryptonite. Twice defeated by San Antonio in as many days, Oklahoma City bit the dust at its Paycom Center on Thursday night (117-102). Victor Vembanyama’s side, on the bench at the start but author of the double-double, are increasingly assuming their status as a franchise designed to aim high, perhaps even play for the title this season. Powered by their star core, Mitch Johnson’s team impressed even without “Wembey” on the OKC floor, oppressing a helpless Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 points) and no ideas. The message went through.

No surprises this time. The Texans quickly realized that the target had stuck to their jersey. The usually suffocating crowd at the Pejka Center quickly showed their desire to fight. A few seconds to warm up the enclosure and the San Antonio gunners immediately responded to the heat of the angry Thunder after the slap received in Texas (+ 20). Without the start of Victor Wembanyama, due to the recovery protocol, De’Aaron Fox (29 points, 12/19 shooting) took care of everything. With the defense scrambling without its control tower, the leader stayed the course to allow the Spurs to stay in touch and even go ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Holmgren criticized, the public turned off: Ruthless Wemby

With playing time diluted to the milliliter, “Wemby” hit where it hurt. Mark of a leader who wasn’t afraid to alienate OKC’s bullpen after a wild celebration during Chet Holmgren’s 0/2 free throw. Booed and booed, the “French Alien” stayed calm, didn’t overplay and stepped up when the time came against the best defense in the league (points conceded average). Unable to slow down the Frenchman, Alex Caruso could only watch, from too far away, as the Texans’ number one hammered a shot midway through the third quarter that put the Spurs up 12.

It was already too much for the disillusioned and constricted throats of the Pekkom Center. Christmas will have a bitter taste for the reigning champions, unrecognizable in attack and unable to dominate the visitors’ racket. Vembanjama has something to do with it, but even with a Frenchman sitting on the edge of the floor, the fury of Mitch Johnson’s men was enough to shut down SGA and his team.

San Antonio has all new scarecrows

At +16 before the last quarter, a faint hope lurked in the stands, but again Vembanyama (19 points, 11 rebounds in 26 minutes) was responsible for killing the suspense. Disciplined, extremely mobile, Spurs suffocated the locals. After Fox in the first half, Stephon Castle (19 points) was responsible for pushing OKC who realized too quickly that the bet was still lost. A tough observation for a team that still thought they were sitting on a comfortable mattress at the top of the league. The Spurs, the enemies of the title holders, show that they have the weapons of their ambitions and are emerging as the new scarecrow of the NBA.

Party at Madison Square Garden

A little earlier, the New York Knicks started the traditional Christmas Day in the NBA with a 126-124 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday after a close game. The two teams took turns dominating, with Cleveland holding a 17-point lead early in the 4th quarter before collapsing.

Jalen Brunson thrilled Madison Square Garden, one of the hottest places in the league, with 34 points, and the Knicks got back into the match thanks mainly to their second knives Jordan Clarkson (25 points) and Tyler Kolek (16 points). In contrast, Donovan Mitchell was valuable (34 points) but failed to carry his team at the end of the match.

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