Spurs stun Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into saying something nobody ever expected

Conversations about whether or not the Oklahoma City Thunder would break the NBA's all-time wins record dominated NBA circles for the first two months of the 2025-26 season. There's just one problem: they cannot beat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

Just weeks after their semi-finals clash in the NBA Cup, the Spurs and Thunder kickstarted a two-game stretch that culminated on the big stage on Christmas Day. San Antonio didn't just beat the Thunder twice in a row; they dominated the NBA Finals favorite with 20 and 15-point victories.

This two-night beatdown served as a reality check for a Thunder team that seemed unbeatable when the month started. Some would even go as far as to say these two games proved the Spurs are a better team than the Thunder.

Sounds hyperbolic? Just ask Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

You don't lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "So we have to get better. We have to look in the mirror. And that's everybody from top to bottom if we want to reach our ultimate goal."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says the Spurs are better than the Thunder

This is quite the praise from the defending MVP considering he is the heartbeat of the previously perceived unslayable dragon. Whether or not SGA truly believes the Spurs are a better team, or if this is his attempt at a reverse jinx, is unclear.

What is clear is that if this were a playoff series, the Spurs would currently be up 3-0 looking for a sweep. And while regular-season games don't come close to matching the stakes of the NBA Playoffs, it is worth mentioning that two of these three games were pretty high stakes.

The NBA Cup semi-finals and the Christmas Day marquee are two huge spots to beat the Thunder. It's not like the Spurs caught the Thunder on an off-night on a road back-to-back in the middle of February. They beat them down on the biggest regular-season stage imaginable and left no room for interpretation.

The important thing for the Spurs is to turn these statement wins into real momentum that carries itself throughout the rest of the season. It won't matter that the Spurs beat the Thunder twice in December if San Antonio doesn't follow it up with an overhand right.

But then again, a team good enough to beat the Thunder three times in a row in two weeks is going to be hard-pressed to not capitalize on the momentum these wins create. As long as this team stays healthy, the Spurs can't just beat any team in the NBA on any given night; they can blow out any NBA team on any given night.

San Antonio emphatically proved that with the final dagger in the Thunder's hearts on Christmas Day. Consider SGA's statement about the Spurs not a revelation, but a warning to the rest of the league.