Is OKC Thunder Loss to Spurs a Blip on the Radar, or Cause for Concern?

The San Antonio Spurs were the talk of the NBA world for the past few days.

After beating Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup semifinals, San Antonio received plenty of well-deserved praise from national media members. Multiple national podcasts have posited whether the Spurs are title contenders are taking down the defending NBA champions and giving the Thunder its second loss of the 2025-26 campaign.

After Tuesday night, however, those discussion may cool off for the coming days.

The New York Knicks defeated the Spurs 124-113 in the NBA Cup final, taking down Victor Wembanyama and company while holding the young superstar to a -18 in the box score.

This result may be an indication that, while San Antonio is certainly an up-and-coming team who has the looks of a formidable opponent, the group isn't a true threat to the Thunder's title hopes yet.

Of course, there is a chance that the Spurs could continue to improve throughout the year and grow into a team who can challege the defending Western Conference Champions, especially with a player like Wembanyama on the roster.

Still, most of San Antonio's other pieces likely aren't ready to compete with the Thunder, or other top teams in the Western Conference. Of course, having talented pieces like Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and others gives the group a chance to compete with the best teams in the NBA, but it seems unlikely that the Spurs would be able to take down OKC in a seven-game series.

Beating the Thunder four times in that span seems like a tall task for any team in the league, let alone a young group like San Antonio.

Looking at the big picture, the Thunder's loss to Wembanyama and company could also signal concern for when the team matches up against other top teams in the NBA, specifially Denver. More than likely, though, it appears that coming up short in the NBA Cup semifinals is simply an example of a regular season slip up against a solid opponent.

It goes without saying, but even the best teams in NBA history will lose contests throughout an 82-game regular season, and each of the Thunder's defeats have come in close games.

Additionally, the Oklahoma City has the chance to prove itself against the Spurs two more times in the coming weeks, as the two teams are set to meet in San Antonio on Dec. 23 and at the Paycom Center on Christmas Day.

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