Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, following OKC's defeat in the NBA Cup: "It will be exciting"

The relaxed atmosphere in the locker room after the duel, as reported by more than one Oklahoma City Thunder media outlet, contrasted with the disappointment of the narrow 111-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinal, a result that ended the franchise's record streak of 16 consecutive wins. However, the team avoided any drama.

“Personally, I think it’s exciting,” explained Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s easier to learn when you don’t feel how you want to feel. It hurts a little more.” The shooting guard added that the coming weeks would offer an immediate chance for a response: “We’re also going to face them [twice in the next five games]. It'll be a good challenge. It's almost like an automatic test. You fail, and you have the opportunity to retake it a few days later. Losing is where you find growth and where you really improve.”

The game marked the first time since the seventh NBA Finals game in June that the Thunder could field their preferred starting five. Up to that defeat, Oklahoma City had matched the best start of 25 games in league history, with a 24-1 record and an average point differential of +17.4.

“What are we, 24-2?” commented Jalen Williams. “We can go home and be content with that, or we can see it as a way to improve and understand that we played against a playoff team that beat us and placed a two in our record. That's how we’re going to approach it from a competitive standpoint.”

The game started as per the usual script for the Thunder, who led by 16 points with a few minutes left before halftime. However, the Spurs reacted before the break and took the lead in the third quarter with a 10-0 run.

“We started decently, but they won the last three quarters,” acknowledged coach Mark Daigneault. “They outplayed us tonight. It was a close game, but they outplayed us and deserved to win. I’m not exactly sure what changed, but for most of the 48 minutes, they were better. It's hard to win or control a game when that happens.”

One of the decisive factors was the return of Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs' center, who didn’t play in the first quarter due to minute restrictions after missing the previous 12 games with a left calf strain, was instrumental on both ends of the floor. In 21 minutes, he recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks, with a clear advantage for San Antonio while on the court.

“It's a tough matchup for anyone,” noted Alex Caruso. “He's seven feet tall, has a lot of quality. I stripped the ball from him in one possession and then touched it when he was shooting, and he still found a way to score. He's a great player and will continue to improve.”

Oklahoma City had a final opportunity to force overtime, but Caruso couldn't convert a tip-in attempt after intentional missed free throws by Williams. Some players felt there was enough contact to warrant a foul, although Caruso was cautious about it.

“I don't know, maybe,” Daigneault responded when asked about that action. “But when we play like that, I'm not going to come here to complain about the officiating. Nobody wants to hear that, honestly.”

More reactions to the loss

From the locker room, the immediate feeling was one of analysis. Chet Holmgren described the team as “anxious and excited” to review the game film to pinpoint the errors that the Spurs capitalized on. Gilgeous-Alexander himself admitted that the offense became too static, especially against a rim protector like Wembanyama. Despite his 29 points, the Thunder leader assumed responsibility after committing five turnovers.

“We can't allow ourselves to,” he stated. “We can't think we're above anything. We, like any team in the league, if you go out one night and don't do what's necessary to win, you probably won't win, regardless of the talent or record you have. That's what happened to us tonight.”

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