Tuesday night, the OKC Thunder finally managed to snag a win against the surging Spurs this season, besting the Western Conference second seeds by a final score of 119-98.
Given that San Antonio is the only team this year to have multiple wins against the reigning NBA Champions, this latest bout will not soon be forgotten by fans and members of the Oklahoma City organization.
Interestingly enough, it seems that the same can be said for star big man, Victor Wembanyama.
Following the contest, the Spurs' wunderkind cornerstone spoke to reporters about the night, praising the Thunder for "playing a better basketball game than us" and how they "trusted their own identity" through all 48 minutes of action.
However, when asked about the physicality of the game, Wemby couldn't help but highlight the fact that he feels "worse" than he did coming in "for sure."
"I think I'm going to be sore in a few places tomorrow for sure. That was a little bit much tonight. Not just a huge screen or a hard foul, but different things from that," Wembanyama said.
Thunder a physically demanding matchup for Victor Wembanyama
Throughout Mark Daigneault's tenure running the show as head coach, the Thunder have been widely regarded as one of the more physically demanding matchups the NBA has to offer, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
It's an attribute that has consistently kept them ranked at or near the top in a bevy of key statistical categories such as defensive rating, steals, blocks, deflections, and fouls drawn.
Their willingness to put their body on the line and bang down low is a big reason why someone like 6-foot-6 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed to finish off the night with four blocks, one of which came at the expense of the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.
They know how to properly play fearless and with reckless abandon.
Though some across the league may complain that this physicality is borderline foul territory, Wemby appears to believe that it simply comes with the territory of playing highly competitive basketball.
With this outcome, the Spurs now hold a 3-1 regular season series lead against the Thunder, with their fifth and final matchup slated to come on February 4 in a road title down in the Lone Star State.
After the way they played in this recent fourth bout, fans should not only expect the Thunder to have a better understanding of what it takes to actually triumph against their budding conference rivals, but also for Wembanyama to remember the physical toll that comes with playing the current "It Team" of the league.
Perhaps his sores felt today may inadvertently make him play a bit more trepidatious in future matchups against OKC.