In the end, perhaps all the OKC Thunder really needed during last year's ill-fated postseason run was health to be on their side.
At least, that seems to be the biggest takeaway from their season-opening win over the same team that bounced them from the 2026 Western Conference Finals in the San Antonio Spurs.
As is always the case with this rising Spurs squad, when Victor Wembanyama is playing his best brand of basketball, they are one of the toughest teams in the association to beat.
A hobbled Oklahoma City proved no match for the All-World center's might during last year's playoff excursion, as he absolutely dominated to the tune of 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 blocks while shooting a whopping 48.1 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep.
With a full-strength core rotation at the ready, the Thunder were able to flip the switch against Wemby in what are now career-worst metrics.
In his 34 minutes of action, the big man wrapped up with a wildly modest 12 points on a putrid 1-for-13 shooting from the floor and 0-for-4 shooting from deep. Per Underdog NBA's findings, this outing marks the lowest field goal percentage of Wemby's entire career and ties for the fewest field goals he's made in a single game.
With all this in mind, it's no wonder the Thunder cruised to a comfortable 116-104 win, especially when considering how well his superstar counterpart, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, performed.
Thunder star managed to shine while Victor Wembanyama flounderd
For those who came into Tuesday's opener ready to crown Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs as superior to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder -- think again!
In this high-profile revenge game, the OKC superstar looked virtually unstoppable.
Through 36 minutes played, SGA put forth a true, all-around masterpiece, posting 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and three steals on 48.1 percent shooting from the floor and 42.9 percent shooting from deep.
Now, while the reigning two-time MVP may have made it a point to downplay the importance of this game-one matchup, going as far as to say post-game that the contest "doesn't really mean that much," from a confidence standpoint, this win after losing the season series last year 4-8 (tallied between both regular season and playoffs) should certainly boost Oklahoma City's spirits.
At the very least, it serves as a reminder that, when the Thunder are at full strength, they deserve to be recognized as "the team to beat" in the association.
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