Fans of the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder were left a lump of coal on Christmas Day. The San Antonio Spurs said “bah humbug” to OKC as they traveled into hostile territory and still pulled out their 3rd win against the Thunder this season, again in blowout fashion.
The Spurs’ NBA Cup win over the Thunder was considered a fluke by many. The second win in San Antonio had some excuses built in, as the Thunder were undermanned and playing the second game of a back-to-back. This Christmas win in Oklahoma City is indicative of a trend – an alarming one for the rest of the NBA. The reigning MVP and OKC guard, Shai Gligeous-Alexander, said it best:
“You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you.”
Today, the Spurs are better than the defending champions. It’s hard to have any other takeaway from this recent stretch than that. It doesn’t mean they will be better in the Playoffs, or are a shoo-in for the NBA Finals, but presently, they are better than the Thunder, and may just be the best team in the league right now.
Just a year ago, San Antonio was closer to the worst in the NBA than it was the best. So what changed? A lot of the Spurs’ success has been thanks to the ability of their guard trio. De’Aaron Fox was nothing short of elite on Christmas, scoring 29 points, getting to the paint at will, and nailing three triples. Stephon Castle has the physicality to withstand OKC’s defensive pressure and bother them on the other end. Dylan Harper has been so impressive in his rookie season. His poise never falters even in the face of one of the best perimeter defenses in NBA history.
On top of the personnel changes, there has been a major mindset shift in San Antonio. This isn’t a team playing like the plucky young group with an “ah shucks, we’re just happy to be here” mentality. The Spurs have a real killer instinct to them. They look like they want to personally dominate the Thunder in every aspect of the game. From top to bottom, there is a greater sense of urgency in this matchup than in some of the other games.
At 23-7, the Spurs have the third-best record in the NBA. They are a game behind the Detroit Pistons and 2.5 behind OKC. They are riding an 8-game winning streak into a home stand against the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. There is a universe where San Antonio has the best record in the league before the end of the calendar year. It’s time to officially start talking about this team like the contenders they are.