OKC Thunder Continue to Chase Championships, Not Regular Season Rivalries

The vast national media around the NBA has pushed the Spurs-Thunder rivalry narrative heavily in recent seasons, especially this one. But Oklahoma City is pushing for more than rivalry victories.

Jan 13, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Kenrich Williams (34) and San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama (1) fight for a loose ball during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night was something that was certainly sought-after by the Oklahoma City Thunder and its players. Losing three games in a row to a team that's considered to be one of your top competitors does light a fire under you.

That did show in front of the Paycom Center in the 119-98 win, taking care of business against the Wembanyama-led Spurs and quieting the discourse of San Antonio being a more elite team that came from several national media outlets and personalities.

But this was also just simply a regular season game for the defending champions in January. Was it important for the team's psyche? Of course, no team wants to lose to another three times in a row—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his crew wanted their get back, and they got it.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives to basket — Jan 13, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

When asked what kind of "juice" Gilgeous-Alexander and his team brought to the court on Tuesday night following their three-straight losses to San Antonio, he said, "Yeah, you kind of have no choice. We all knew it when we woke up this morning. This team had gotten the better of us the last few times we played them."

"That doesn't happen to this group," he said. Which it primarily doesn't, and definitely hasn't happened this season.

"Tonight wasn't our Super Bowl. It was another game on an 82-game season. We've gotta find ways to get better."

Key part that a lot of fans are focusing on—it wasn't this team's Super Bowl.

The Thunder has established that this team is vying for titles, rings. They're not looking for mid-season series wins to hang their hat on, they are seeking back-to-back NBA titles, and Wembanyama and a very talented Spurs team isn't going to alter that.

Oklahoma City is looking to continue to stack its hardware. Keeping its head down, trucking forward and continuing to improve game by game as the postseason nears is what's most important to this group. A win over this team feels great, but winning the NBA Finals yet again is the end goal.