The term “0-0” is etched into every Thunder player’s mind.
It’s even etched into their championship rings, emphasizing the importance of treating every game like a clean slate and not playing the score. But as OKC prepared for a Christmas game against San Antonio on Thursday, it was impossible to ignore a different record.
0-2.
That’s where the Thunder stood after its first two meetings with the Spurs this season. And the reigning champs were clearly fired up for Round 3, as their early buckets were celebrated with muscle flexing or signature celebrations.
But when the game got away from OKC, so did its trademarked mindset. Tough shots were taken. Defensive rotations weren’t made. And the Thunder played unlike its usual self in those moments, ultimately resulting in a 117-102 home loss.
“When you want the game really bad, we kind of like lost track of that,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “And then every play we tried to make while down was like a Hail Mary instead of sticking to principles regarding our offense. Every time we went through our progressions, we got really good looks.”
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Even those good looks didn’t materialize consistently for OKC, which shot 37 for 95 from the field (39%) and 11 for 44 from deep (25%). It also went 1 for 13 on corner 3-pointers (7.7%).
Shots don’t always fall, but the Thunder (26-5) always seems to move onto the next play when they don’t. And yet there were times when that didn’t happen Thursday, like at the end of the first quarter.
Lu Dort missed a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Luke Kornet snagged the defensive board. He handed the ball to De’Aaron Fox, who raced up the floor for an easy fastbreak layup.
Alex Caruso then missed a corner 3-pointer a few possessions later, and Harrison Barnes came down with the rebound. He also handed the ball to Fox, and the speedy star took it all the way to the rim again for a layup.
Of the 20 missed OKC 3-pointers that San Antonio rebounded, seven of them resulted in either a bucket or free throws via a fastbreak layup on the other end.
“I think us missing those led to us not playing defense on the other end, and it kind of just snowballed from there,” Williams said. “And then when they’re making shots, you get hasty. And nine points feel like 20. I don’t think we did a good job of course correcting throughout the game and sticking with it.
“Those are the losses that are frustrating, when it’s like you kind of give up on playing the right way a little bit. And that’s not aimed at one person. It’s just in general.”
OKC played the right way for large stretches. It only committed seven turnovers all afternoon, which marked its second-lowest total of the season, and it racked up a season-high 16 offensive boards.
But the small stretches of playing the wrong way cost the Thunder the game. San Antonio went on an 11-0 run in the final minute and 58 seconds of the first quarter. It went on a 12-3 run in a span of two minutes and 28 seconds in the second quarter.
The Spurs also went on a 10-2 run throughout two minutes and 23 seconds in the third quarter. And they went on a 9-3 run in two minutes and three seconds during the fourth quarter.
Those brief breakdowns are all it takes when facing San Antonio, which has built a strong case to be viewed as a championship contender.
“They’re just a good basketball team,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They know how to play. They have talent. They play the right way. They play together. When you mix those things together for any basketball team, you win games. … They’ve been better than us three times now.”
Three times.
For a Thunder team that has put up mind-boggling numbers all season, that one might be the craziest. The fact that OKC is 0-3 against San Antonio and 26-2 against the rest of the NBA.
But those records can’t be on its players’ minds right now. They have to go back to being 0-0.
“We have to look in the mirror,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And that’s everybody, from top to bottom, if we want to reach our ultimate goal.”
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.