The San Antonio Spurs have agreed to a $700 million trade destination for….

If the physical altercation between Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren of OKC after a brief Thunder victory in January suggested the emergence of a rivalry, Thursday officially marked its arrival. But it’s grown further than the two lanky big men; on Thursday night, both sides were in dire need. The San Antonio Spurs carried confidence on their shoulders and motivation in their movement on way to a 132-118 statement victory against Oklahoma City, thanks to Trevor Jones’ persistent hot hand from beyond the arc, Devin Vassell’s fourth quarter, and Victor Wembanyama’s regular outburst.

the Thunder knows what San Antonio could grow into in the future. After all, the Thunder were once a struggling lottery club with bright future prospects. The Spurs, with Wembanyama in the mix, have the advantage of quicker rebuilds even though they lack the draft money of their adversary. The ferocity with which OKC began the game gave the impression that they were looking for early ways to restrict the Frenchman before his peak performance in the next years. For at least a quarter, it was worth considering whether they had resolved the 7-foot-4-sized problem after forcing him to commit two quick fouls. Wemby injured his ankle, but instead of sitting him down, he remained on the ground.

It can desired for Wembaynama to function. Especially when he was dribbling and forcing a kickout to a player on the perimeter, he would provide great assistance, especially on the attacking end. That tactic would have destroyed the Spurs on an other night. Throughout the season, they had trouble shooting three points. Not on Thursday. The Spurs connected on 4 of 9 looks, trailing the Thunder, who scored on 6 of 8 looks. If it had been a different night, San Antonio would have cooled off, slowed down, and given OKC more space to win the attrition game. Not on Thursday. The Thunder shot 9 of 31 from long range, while the Spurs ended 19 of 39. The beauty of basketball is when the points are actually tumbling down. He was given one more chance in the closing stages to leave a lasting impression. It takes physical and mental toll to endure a losing season, but in the midst of a rebuild, the opportunity for improvement makes it worthwhile. Do you recall the annoyance you felt following the season opening when he started to get hot but didn’t get enough touches to help Dallas win? Since then, there have been significant changes. Wemby shut down a potential Rookie of the Year contender by blocking a jump shot from Chet Holmgren in the crucial moments after he had sent the Frost Bank Center into a hive of activity with a three-pointer. Wemby played the full fourth quarter and finished with eight points, three turnovers, a total of three rebounding, and two blocks.