NBA Hall-of-Fame coach Phil Jackson once said that for a team to be considered an “elite” championship contender, they must win 40 games in the regular season before they lose 20. On Saturday night, the San Antonio Spurs became the third team to meet that criteria in the 2025-26 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons are also in that category, and at 36-19, the Boston Celtics still have a chance to join the conversation.
It’s fitting that the Spurs accomplished this feat on a night where they showed what makes them a scary playoff contender, and what may make some fans question their chances of advancing past the first round.
San Antonio began and ended the game with force. They got to the basket, shared the rock, and played fast in transition. Victor Wembanyama looked like a man on a mission, locked in defensively and getting whatever he wanted around the basket. In the middle of the game, the team looked a bit complacent. Turning the ball over, allowing open shots, and giving up offensive rebounds. The Spurs had 18 turnovers and allowed the Kings’ rookie big man, Maxime Raynaud, to grab 7 offensive rebounds.
As all great teams do, when it came to winning time, San Antonio, particularly Wembanyama, turned it on and downed an inferior opponent. Wembanyama looks like a man on a mission after the All-Star break. In San Antonio’s two Austin games, Wembanyama has dropped a combined 45 points, 26 rebounds, 10 assists, and 9 blocks. He’s locked in defensively and is getting good looks within the flow of the offense around the basket. This level of performance from Wembanyama is what takes a good Spurs team to a great one capable of making noise in the playoffs.
It’s funny that after two games where the Spurs looked stellar (at times) against inferior, short-handed opponents, they’ll now travel to face the best team with the NBA’s best record. San Antonio will get a chance to prove they really mean business on Monday against the Detroit Pistons, with an 8-game winning streak on the line.