The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder played on Christmas Day — the NBA’s annual showcase of its best teams — was in 2018, when head coach Mark Daigneault was still leading the team’s G League squad. Before winning a title, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander expressed disappointment over the Thunder being left off the Christmas Day schedule last season. After winning the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City earned a marquee matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
Daigneault, who will be working on Christmas Day for the first time since being promoted to Thunder head coach in 2019, addressed the significance of facing the Spurs as a part of the NBA’s annual showcase, per Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza.
“It’s a big day for the NBA, and the guys are excited to play on that slate of games,” Daigneault said. “It’s one of 82, at the end of the day, but it is an elevated circumstance because of the attention on the game, and the noise around it. Those are good experiences for any team, certainly for us, because that’s the kind of noise that you have to be able to cut through in the playoffs, if you’re fortunate enough to get there.
“We learned that over the last couple of years as we’ve gotten there. So, the more you can condition yourself to being in those circumstances, the better you can handle them,” Daigneault concluded.
Mark Daigneault on OKC playing on Christmas: “It’s a big day in the NBA. The guys are excited to play on that slate of games… It is an elevated circumstance because of the attention on the game and the noise around it.” pic.twitter.com/GkdznV4dg2
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) December 21, 2025
The Spurs eliminated Mark Daigneault and the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals while handing the defending champions their second loss in 26 games. San Antonio also snapped a 16-game win streak, the Thunder’s longest stretch of wins in franchise history, making a Christmas Day matchup all the more exciting.
The Spurs will also host the Thunder on Tuesday, adding to the anticipation of the NBA’s marquee matchup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander embraces a Thunder-Spurs rivalry
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
After losing to All-Star Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed a potential rivalry. Gilgeous-Alexander says the Spurs have a chance to become the Thunder’s new rival, a role that began with Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, the pair of 7-foot shooting bigs leading a new generation, both top picks in back-to-back years of their respective draft classes (2021-2022).
Gilgeous-Alexander sees the Spurs emerging as a potential threat to the defending champion Thunder in the coming years, he said, after last week’s loss.
“There’s a good chance,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re young — really good — have a lot of talent, play the right way. They play a good brand of basketball. But, yeah, definitely, there’s a possibility. I’ve noticed that anything can happen in a couple of years. So, yeah, there’s definitely a possibility. It’s not 100 percent. But definitely a possibility for sure.”
Coming off a pair of losses in three games, the Thunder will host the Grizzlies at the Paycom Center on Monday.