Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game #4
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs take on Chet Holmgren and the Thunder (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs (1-2) will try to bounce back tonight when they encounter the Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) on the road. The Spurs are coming off of a 106-101 loss to the Houston Rockets. In that game, Jeremy Sochan led the way with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes. San Antonio had a total of five players score in double-digits but it wasn’t enough.
The Thunder are off to a dominating start this season. Not only are they undefeated, they’ve won by an average spread of 19.4 points. This will be Oklahoma City’s second home game. On the season, superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks.
The Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren Rivalry Continues
Last season, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren were the top two vote-getters in the Rookie of the Year Award race. For the rest of their careers, these two big men will be compared to each other. As rookies, it was obvious that the rivalry was felt by both players.
This season, Holmgren is averaging 23.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s shooting 56.3% from the field, 20% from the three-point line and 66.7% from the free throw line. Wembanyama, on the other hand, is averaging 20.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.3 assists, while shooting 42.9% from the field, 22.2% from three-point territory and 87.5% from the free throw stripe.
Thus far, it’s fair to say Holmgren has been the better player. Obviously, though, the season has just begun so there’s plenty of time for that to change.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
Two Spurs players are currently out with injuries: Devin Vassell and Tre Jones. Vassell could be back once the calendar flips to November — so his return may be very soon. Jones could be out for another week. Vassell had offseason foot surgery, while Jones is dealing with a sprained ankle.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The Spurs have used the same starting lineup in all three games this season. Once Vassell returns, that will likely change. For the time being, expect head coach Gregg Popovich to keep starting Wembanyama at center, Sochan at power forward, Harrison Barnes at small forward, Julian Champagnie at shooting guard and Chris Paul at point guard.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Thunder
The Thunder are favored by 12.5 points and the over/under is 221.5 points. While the Thunder have been playing great basketball, it’s safe to expect Wembanyama to come out of the gates with an extra amount of fire due to his matchup with Holmgren. For that reason, bet on the Spurs.