Oklahoma City (4-0), clamping down on a Spurs squad with its top-ranked defense, used an 18-2 run in the first quarter to stake itself to a comfortable lead that was not threatened in a 105-93 victory. The Thunder started white hot from three (14 first half makes), while many San Antonio forays stalled out deep in the paint with 2-3 defenders lurking nearby. Chet Holmgren got the better of his more heralded counterpart throughout much of the first half with 15 points and two blocks, while Victor Wembanyama had his worst output of the young season.

San Antonio (1-3) was led again by Jeremy Sochan (17 points and 9 rebounds) accompanied by grizzled veterans Harrison Barnes (18 points and 4 rebounds) and Chris Paul (14 points and 9 assists). The team let Wembanyama (6 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) down by not being able to find him in advantageous spots in the halfcourt, which was not helped by him getting bogged down by his own frustrations. Malaki Branham chipped in 15 points off the bench.

The Thunder were led by Holmgren (19 points and 5 rebounds) who paced four starters in double figures – Luguentz Dort (20 points and 6 rebounds), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (18 points and 5 assists), and Jalen Williams (12 points and 8 assists) — a group that thoroughly outplayed their counterparts.

The visitors had considerable difficulty getting through the lane amidst a sea of Thunder arms, and settled for jumpers with many of them clanging off the rim. Oklahoma City’s success from three allowed them to settle into the catbird seat. While the Spurs steadied themselves and kept OKC off the boards over the last two minutes of the first, they still ended a difficult opening frame down seven.

The Thunder (editor’s note: like a bad case of dysentery – JRW) made life difficult for San Antonio at one both ends, while shooting confidently and brazenly from distance in their halfcourt offense. The Spurs’ deficit ballooned to 19 before they found a veteran line-up that could somewhat deter the hopeful contenders. Chris Paul’s timely shooting staved off OKC running away with things, but the Thunder still went to the half up 59-44.

The Thunder started the second half by attacking the basket at-will. Holmgren tagged Wembanyama with an elbow to the face on a drive, and Harrison Barnes’ fadeaway brought San Antonio within 11. Behind Barnes and Paul, the Spurs managed to impressively win the quarter 26-23 despite Oklahoma City’s astounding success from distance.

Observations

• With the stirring Celtics / Pacers tilt spilling into overtime, the Spurs / Thunder telecast started with San Antonio up 10-7.
• OKC is forcing a turnover on one of every five possessions, per Zach Kram of The Ringer. They thusly generated countless deflections and steals in triumph tonight.
• Those SATX uniforms are pretty meh.
• With the Spurs being on the national airwaves again, we (well, mainly I) need to get used to the longer television timeouts.
• It’s these type of tough road games where Barnes needs to more forcefully assert himself on the offensive end – and he ended up doing that!
• I lost count of the times that Tim Legler and Dave Pasch commented on San Antonio’s suboptimal offense.
• This might have been the first game this season that felt a little too big for Stephon Castle.
• Victor Ease: Not sure how to feel about Wembanyama stationed on the free throw line (like Dirk Nowitzki used to). While he is able to see the floor well from that perch, he can’t punish the defense with that mid-range jumper yet.
• Sequence of the Game: After Zach Collins emphatically turned away Aaron Wiggin’s dunk attempt at the start of the second period, Malaki Branham’s connected from the wing.
• In a fast-paced opening handful of minutes, the Spurs briefly held a small lead. Jalen William’s steal of Paul’s crosscourt pass and breakaway dunk drew Pop’s ire. San Antonio had trouble converting its looks from the perimeter, while Holmgren hit two early ones of his own. As the Spurs’ field goal drought spanned nine attempts, OKC extended out to a 20-10 advantage. Zach Collins’ three and a spinning lay-up by Blake Wesley fended off an early blowout. The Thunder had the Spurs down 26-19 after one.
• San Antonio managed to get a pair of shot-clock violations on OKC late in the first and at the start of the second. Wembanyama tumbled to the floor with his defender, and Jalen Williams found a streaking Holmgren for a transition dunk. A visibly frustrated and possibly injured Wembanyama went straight to the locker room. Holmgren’s three after an inbounds turnover and Ajay Mitchell’s three put the Spurs down 19. After Holmgren inexplicably tried throwing himself a lob off the backboard, Paul hit a pair of threes to bring San Antonio within ten. Paul’s third three was answered very quickly by Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, and the Spurs were fortunate to be down only 15 at the break.
• OKC held a lay-up parade to start the second half to match their biggest lead at 19. Julian Champagnie encouragingly hit a corner three, and Barnes’ driving dunk brought San Antonio within two touchdowns. Dort’s second uncontested three of the frame put the Thunder up 19 again. Paul hit a patented mid-range jumper and found Sochan for an acrobatic lay-up. Barnes’ wing three brought the Spurs within eight as they mounted their first serious push. After San Antonio’s finest defensive stand of the game, Keldon Johnson’s three trimmed their deficit to seven.
• Malaki Branham’s bankshot three again brought San Antonio within seven to start the fourth, which ended up being the closest that they would get. No other Spurs could help Branham mount a comeback attempt in the stanza.

San Antonio heads west for a road SEGABABA against Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz tomorrow night at 8:00 PM CDT.

Happy Halloween Pounders!

On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs face off against the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder in what promises to be an exciting early-season matchup of young, elite talent.

With both teams spotlighting budding stars, all eyes will be on the showdown between San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and OKC’s Chet Holmgren.

The Spurs, at 1-2, have leaned on Wembanyama’s defensive versatility and shot-making, while the 3-0 Thunder are showcasing premier offense and solid perimeter play led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Expect a game that highlights speed, shooting, and high-level schematics as these teams push their way up the Western Conference standings.

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Live Updates:

(most recent at the top)

HALFTIME: Thunder 59, Spurs 44.

Second Quarter:

• 2:05, 2Q: Chris Paul makes a 25-footer. Spurs have cut the lead to 13. Thunder 50, Spurs 37,

• 6:21, 2Q: Thunder stringing together a run here. They’ve pushed their lead to 19. Holmgren is up to 15 points. Thunder 45, Spurs 26.

• 8:26, 2Q: Four buckets in the span of a minute for these teams from the 10:00-9:00 mark. Branham makes a jumper, Isaiah Joe nails a 23-footer, Johnson makes a layup, Holmgren makes a mid-range shot. Thunder 35, Spurs 26.

• 10:43, 2Q: Thunder 28, Spurs 19. San Antonio take a timeout.

• First points of the quarter go to Holmgren and the Thunder.

First Quarter:

• END OF THE 1Q: Thunder 26, Spurs 19. Sochan, Barnes and Wembanyama lead the way at the break with four points a piece. Holmgren leads all scorers with six points. Spurs are shooting a putrid 1-for-10 from downtown. 7-for-24 overall, 29% from the floor.

• 3:52, 1Q: Thunder have extended their lead to 10. They’re 5-for-10 from three early on.

• 5:35, 1Q: Thunder 15, Spurs 10.

• Holmgren fouls Wembanyama. Wembanyama makes both at the line, and the Spurs are on the board.

• First points of the game belong to the Thunder’s Lu Dortz on an assist from Holmgren.

• Chet Holmgren blocks Sochan’s layup after Wembanyama wins the tipoff and we’re underway.

Pregame:

• Starting Lineup for San Antonio: Chris Paul, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama.

• Tipoff from Oklahoma City is set for 8:30 p.m. CT.

Notebook: Spurs Torched by 3-Point Shooting, But Find Silver Linings

It Takes A Castle: Stephon Castle’s On-Court Impact Begins Off It

Julian Champagnie’s Approach to Begin New Season? ‘Just Keep Shooting’

Walters requested that the Biden-Harris administration reimburse over $474 million to Oklahoma schools for “the financial impact borne by Oklahoma taxpayers for education of illegal immigrant children.” The letter, issued Tuesday, comes as Walters deemed Harris as “the number one threat to parents and kids” in the United States.

“This open border policy has cost our state $474 million to educate illegal immigrant children,” Walters said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends First. “We have fentanyl pouring across into our schools, and we even had a terrorist that came across in our open border policies, that was arrested in one of our schools. Her open border is causing mass chaos into our schools, into our economy and into our society. We never had these problems under President Trump. We never had these issues in our schools and in our society. We had a closed border, safer schools, safe border. This is absolutely essential that her administration is held accountable. The border czar has failed us.”

Walters’s comment on Harris as “the border czar” comes after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a messaging bill in July condemning both the vice president and the Biden administration’s handling of border security. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, has sought to portray himself as the new border czar should he and Trump win.

The Oklahoma superintendent explained that the federal government mandates school districts to educate any child who will attend their school, regardless of whether they are legal immigrants or not. As such, schools are required to “quickly” allocate resources originally intended for students already enrolled, with one district even getting “100 a week” in illegal immigrants attending their district.

“So all of the resources that were there, prepared for our students in Oklahoma, are now being diverted to the students of illegal immigrants,” Walters said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The superintendent’s letter is not the first time Walters has feuded with the Biden administration, as he directed all of his local school districts not to comply with the administration’s rewrite of Title IX because it puts “women in danger.” He has also sought a “complete overhaul” to Oklahoma school curriculum with the goal to “inspire in students a love of country and a proper understanding of the American founding.” 

Illegal immigration has been a major topic ahead of the 2024 presidential election, including the possibility of non-residents of the United States voting. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow Virginia to carry out a purge of an estimated 1,600 people from its voter rolls to prevent ineligible noncitizens from voting, a decision Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) deemed “a victory for commonsense and election fairness.”