The Oklahoma City Thunder’s impressive 16-game winning streak came to an end on November 25, 2023, with a narrow 111-109 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs. Despite leading 49-46 at halftime, the Thunder could not maintain their advantage as the Spurs rallied, featuring four players who scored 20 points or more.
Head coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the challenges of close games, stating, “When you play close games, you’re not going to win them all. I thought we put ourselves in a tough position there, playing from behind down the stretch.” The Thunder’s defensive struggles were evident as they allowed 65 second-half points, with the Spurs capitalizing on 13 three-pointers and scoring 40 points in the paint.
Daigneault noted that while the Thunder executed some good offensive plays, they struggled defensively. “Sometimes it comes down to make or miss plays,” he said. “We made some good passes out of double teams and stuff like that, so I thought our offensive attacks were okay. We didn’t get a ton of stops down at the other end.”
Leading the Thunder’s scoring effort was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 29 points on 12-of-23 shooting. He contributed four rebounds and five assists, although he also recorded five turnovers. Daigneault praised the Spurs’ defensive strategy against Gilgeous-Alexander, pointing out that there were “a lot of controllable stuff we can learn from that game that wasn’t where we’d like it to be.”
The Thunder’s performance from beyond the arc was particularly concerning, as they shot just 24% (9-of-37) from three-point range. “It wasn’t our sharpest night,” Daigneault remarked. “Certainly, our attacks weren’t as sharp as they’ve normally been.” This loss marked the Thunder’s first setback since their close contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 5, when they fell 121-119.
In this match, the Thunder’s inability to close out the game proved costly, emphasizing the need for improvement as they look to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures.
