The OKC Thunder came into San Antonio with a mission on their minds. Coach of December, Billy Donovan had a solid game plan in place and the team delivered. Three takeaways offer context on this important win.
True to their identity the OKC Thunder played gritty basketball versus the San Antonio Spurs and took over in the final frame to seal the victory.
Registering a record of 11-4 in December has bolstered this squads confidence and if opponents allow them to stay close until the final frame (and more importantly the final five minutes) they best fear the Thunder since this team is at the point where they don’t think anyone can beat them especially if they reach clutch time within those pivotal five point margins.
Granted, it’s a bit risky to assume this is going to be the case all season and as a fan base, we shouldn’t expect that to be the ongoing norm. Still, with the team thriving and confidence at an all-time high, it’s hard not to be excited about this club who everyone assumed would be mired in the basement at this stage of the season.
With that let’s look at the three takeaways from the victory.
Overcoming history:
With the victory, the OKC Thunder accomplished several things. Not the least of which was winning in San Antonio for the first time since 2014. These types of achievements can’t be undervalued. Although this iteration of the Thunder wasn’t the team who kept losing in San Antonio the value of them ending the six-year gap between victories can bolster the confidence of the new roster while simultaneously cementing the image of this iteration of the team.
Second, the Thunder now has five additional wins and four fewer losses over the Spurs who sit directly behind them on the playoff ladder in eighth place.
Certainly, a losing streak can change dynamics abruptly but making up that much ground is a tall task even with over half the season left to play.
Depending on what occurs at the trade deadline it could switch up the circumstances and make closing the gap easier. But something tells me as long as Chris Paul is on this team playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and presumably Steven Adams their identity will remain that of a gritty team who feast in clutch time.