Spurs 111-109 Thunder (Dec 13, 2025) Game Recap – ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence and supplied a timely lift, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs edged the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 on Dec. 13, 2025. The victory sent San Antonio into the NBA Cup final, where they will meet the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. Oklahoma City’s loss snapped the Thunder’s 16-game winning streak and left them at 24-2 on the season, the second-best start since Golden State’s 25-1 run in 2015-16. The game was decided down the stretch after several momentum swings and a tight fourth quarter.

Key Takeaways

• Final score: Spurs 111, Thunder 109 — San Antonio advances to the NBA Cup final versus the New York Knicks.
• Victor Wembanyama returned from a strained left calf and scored 22 points with nine rebounds in 21 minutes, posting a +21 plus/minus.
• Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 23 points while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each added 22.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced Oklahoma City with 29 points; Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams contributed 17 apiece.
• The Thunder entered the game on a 16-game winning streak and fall to 24-2, trailing only Golden State’s 25-1 start (2015-16) among best modern starts.
• San Antonio had gone 9-3 during Wembanyama’s absence; his minutes were restricted but his impact was immediate.
• Key runs: Spurs closed the first half with a 13-0 spurt and opened the third with a 10-0 run to seize control.

Background

The NBA Cup has become a midseason showcase that crowns a short-tournament champion from early-season group play. This Las Vegas game functioned as one of the Cup’s semifinal showdowns, with the Spurs and Thunder both advancing through earlier rounds to reach this stage. San Antonio entered the matchup missing Victor Wembanyama for 12 games with a strained left calf; the team managed a 9-3 record without him, demonstrating depth and a resilient rotation under coach play-calling adjustments.

Oklahoma City arrived in Las Vegas on the heels of a 16-game winning streak, establishing itself as one of the league’s hottest teams and sitting at 24-1 going into the contest. That run marked the Thunder’s best stretch since their retooling and youth development paid dividends, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring and the two-way play of Chet Holmgren. The Thunder’s only prior loss had been Nov. 5 at Portland, and last year they fell in the Cup final in Las Vegas to Milwaukee, 97-81, giving this matchup additional narrative weight.

Main Event

Wembanyama’s reintroduction was managed carefully: he was on a minutes restriction and monitored throughout the night, yet his presence shifted the game’s tone. After removing his sweatpants late in the first half, the crowd grew electric, and his activity inside altered Oklahoma City’s matchups. He finished with 22 points and nine boards while logging a team-best plus/minus despite limited floor time.

The first half featured runs and counter-runs. San Antonio turned a halftime deficit into a tie and then a lead by closing the period on a 13-0 run, erasing the Thunder’s earlier edge. The Spurs followed that with a decisive 10-0 spurt in the third quarter to push ahead 62-56, forcing Oklahoma City to claw back in the fourth. Each swing changed the game plan for both benches, with coaches adjusting defensive sets to contain penetrating guards and high-post options.

The closing minutes were tense and featured several lead changes. Oklahoma City relied on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s creation to keep the game close, and Holmgren’s floor spacing remained important for pick-and-roll action. San Antonio’s balanced scoring — with Vassell, Fox and Castle all reaching 20-plus points — provided the scoring diversity needed to withstand late Thunder pushes. The final possessions saw strategic fouling and clock management, but San Antonio preserved a two-point margin at the buzzer.

Analysis & Implications

Wembanyama’s return, even on a restriction, altered both teams’ strategic outlooks. For San Antonio, his defensive rim protection and offensive touch allowed the Spurs to play with more confidence in half-court sets; opponents must respect his interior gravity even when he plays limited minutes. That influence helps explain San Antonio’s ability to erase deficits with concentrated bursts rather than relying on a single scorer.

Oklahoma City’s loss exposes how fragile long winning runs can be when matchups shift unexpectedly. The Thunder’s offense has leaned heavily on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the spacing from Holmgren; when another franchise presence such as Wembanyama is reinserted the Thunder faced lineup combinations they had not prepared for in recent games. While this defeat halts the streak, it does not negate the Thunder’s broader season profile or deep rotation.

From a league perspective, the game underscores the NBA Cup’s potential to produce high-stakes, concentrated matchups that differ from regular-season dynamics. Teams approach the Cup with short-tournament intensity and different rotation calculus, sometimes prioritizing immediate wins over long-term load management. San Antonio’s cautious reintroduction of a star underlines the balance franchises seek between present success and player health.

Comparison & Data

The comparison highlights how rare starts like 24-2 are in modern NBA seasons; Golden State’s 25-1 start in 2015-16 remains an outlier. San Antonio’s decision to reinsert Wembanyama despite a recent calf strain paid immediate dividends in this single-elimination atmosphere, though long-term load management will remain a topic as the regular season continues.

Reactions & Quotes

“M-V-P” chants rang out from the Spurs crowd when Wembanyama energized the arena late in the first half, reflecting the immediate excitement surrounding his comeback.

Spurs crowd

Wembanyama finished with a plus-21 in just 21 minutes, a box-score indicator of his tangible impact in limited action.

Official box score / ESPN recap

Unconfirmed

• No unverified claims were identified in public game reports; all statistics and results are confirmed by official box scores and league summaries.

Bottom Line

San Antonio’s 111-109 win over Oklahoma City in Las Vegas was defined by the timely return of Victor Wembanyama and balanced scoring from multiple Spurs, sending San Antonio to the NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks. The result halts a 16-game Thunder winning streak and leaves Oklahoma City with a 24-2 ledger, still one of the strongest starts in recent NBA history.

Looking ahead, San Antonio must weigh competitive opportunity against ongoing load management for Wembanyama as the Cup final approaches on Tuesday. For the Thunder, the loss is a setback but not a systemic indictment; how they respond against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday will say more about the team’s resilience over the rest of the season.

Sources

• ESPN game recap — (sports news)
• AP NBA summary — (news service)