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I’ve come to a firm conclusion: Hand over the Spurs the keys to Father Christmas's workshop. Place Stephon Castle in charge of gift manufacturing. Allow De’Aaron Fox launch gifts into chimneys, from any range he’d like. Vassell can decorate the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the legion of helpers taken care of. And, of course, the sleigh's ride must without delay be reconfigured for a taller, slender pilot so that the towering Wembanyama can navigate it with ease.

The stunning Spurs have toppled the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trio of matchups in a fortnight, and in doing so have revitalized this NBA season. I now have a stronger conviction in the Spurs’ ability to bestow excitement to the audience than any holiday legends of old.

A Dire Start

It appeared grim for a while there. The Oklahoma City might have secured the title in June, but commenced this season in even more daunting form. They strung together 24 victories in their opening 25 matchups (the sole defeat was a freak 20-point rally). In most of them of those games, Williams, their star supporting player, was on the bench healing from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their top player, seldom had to play in the final period. The Thunder routed the Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some thought to be a possible contender, lost by 29; their basketball savant Luka Doncic appeared as if he was playing against ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ valiant opening resulted in a close loss, by just four points. When they played a rematch 12 days later, the Thunder won by 49. This game signaled the definitive end and ushered in the cold season 10 days prematurely. Oklahoma City appeared able to demolishing every team in its path, even the 2016 Golden State Warriors’ historic regular season record of 73-9.

The Nature of Their Game

The Thunder are not known for a overly attractive brand of basketball. They expertly leverage the officials' quandary over which fouls to call (a constant whistle interrupts the pace of the game, an inconsistent one lets players get away with clear violations), often resulting in Gilgeous-Alexander shooting free throws after whistles that would be best ignored, while personified nuisance Caruso seems to have carte blanche to do anything he likes on defense. Some claim to appreciate, SGA contorting his body to invite minor contact from defenders; I can only imagine those same people also like being struck hard between the legs. That’s not to mention man-mountain Luguentz Dort flying off his feet and into opponents after plenty of debatably minimal touches. This tactics lets detractors to cling to the idea that in a world with flawless officiating, the Thunder would be a mediocre team. True knowledgeable fans know it’s far more annoying than essential to the Thunder’s success, but the widespread irritation is sufficient to incline some fans who might otherwise be neutral into rooting for Oklahoma City’s defeat.

Dominance can be coldly thrilling to watch, but a record-setting performance tends to generate less awe the more times it recurs. How many times does anybody really want to watch one team beat another by 35? In the end you remember that the drama is the point. The Thunder were draining the season of suspense, building leads on other teams in the standings as well as on the floor.

The San Antonio Response

Through the opening period of the initial San Antonio vs. OKC game this season, San Antonio trailed by 16 and seemed poised to go the same way as every other team. Instead, they have caused major problems for the Thunder ever since.

Against the Spurs, the Thunder look mortal. Each member of their core deserves immense credit for that, but this is Victor Wembanyama’s team, and the Thunder know it. “There’s this player on their team that’s 7'5" and commands a lot of space on the court,” Jalen Williams said, with some irritation, when asked what made the Spurs such a tough out. The Thunder’s lanky center, 7'1" Chet Holmgren, is the biggest player on the floor in most games, able to secure boards and swat down opposing shots. Next to Wemby, he’s short, crude, and even hesitant. Victor's disdain for Holmgren is evident in how he celebrates each time Holmgren misses a free throw, as though he’s won the lottery; the way he fouls him with a bit of added intensity; the way he told reporters he doesn’t consider Holmgren a competitor. (There is indeed no question over which player is superior.) At this rate Holmgren must expect Wemby to emerge from the cabinet, talking smack, when he goes to grab for a snack.

A Christmas Statement

The Spurs led by Wembanyama made their most authoritative statement yet on Christmas, routing the Thunder by 15 on their home court. San Antonio withstood the expected early surge well yet again, recovering to pile 41 points on the league’s best defense in the first quarter. De'Aaron Fox easily found the miniscule holes in that defense to the tune of 29 points. The Spurs even restricted Gilgeous-Alexander to a career-low 22. He tried to compensate by whipping passes to open teammates behind the arc, but they disappointed by missing almost every single attempt.

A Thunder believer would say that enough of those long-range shots will go in in the future to produce a victory or a closer loss, but I found the failed attempts revealing of a issue. Off the strength of his effortless stepback jumper, SGA is the most reliable scoring force in the league. He is challenging to guard and impossible to stop. But even he can’t carry an offense completely on his own. The Spurs put Gilgeous-Alexander under enough pressure that he had to distribute more than usual, and his teammates struggled under the heavier burden. Caruso and Dort are good for the periodic three-pointer, but relying on them to make the three-ball is the last place the Thunder want to be.

A League Transformed

The Spurs’ ascent couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Not only have they forcefully established themselves as legitimate challengers – but they’ve let fans to see the Thunder in {higher definition|sharper focus|