NBA Pits Thunder Against Spurs on National TV

The NBA announced it's schedule and TV coverages for pool play of the inaugural In-Season Tournament on Tuesday.

The Thunder will play the Warriors, Kings, Spurs and Timberwolves in group play, as the five squads were all revealed to be in Group C earlier this summer.

On Nov. 14, Oklahoma City will host San Antonio in what is slated to be a nationally televised game. OKC had just two nationally televised regular season games all of last year after their November game against Orlando that was scheduled to be on TNT was shifted off of national TV.

With Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama slated to face off for the first time in the In-Season Tournament, TNT and the NBA decided to replace the game that was taken from the Thunder last year.

Not only do Holmgren and Wembanyama almost guarantee good ratings for the contest, it could also help spark a natural rivalry between the two players.

With similar body and play styles, the two versatile, elite prospects should go head to head when the Thunder and Spurs meet in mid-November. Additionally, both players were drafted in the top two of their draft class and were highly coveted prospects prior to being drafted.

After Holmgren missed what should have been his rookie season, his matchup against Wembanyama will also be intriguing due to its impact on the Rookie of the Year race. With both players being so well recognized by fans and media, in addition to what Holmgren and Wembanyama showed in the Summer League, it would not be surprising for the two 7-footers to be competing head to head for the award.

This will not only add a fun storyline to the showdown between OKC and San Antonio in November, but it will also help grow the on-court rivalry between the two players.

The NBA seems to have no problem leaning into the rivalry angle of the Thunder and Spurs matchup, which is good for the league and will certainly help increase viewership. If both Holmgren and Wembanyama are the players that they have been projected to develop into, then the contest between Oklahoma City and San Antonio will be a must-watch for many NBA fans.

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