NBA Cup 2025 Semifinals: Thunder vs Spurs Showdown

Will the return of star heart Victor Wembanyama be sufficient for the Spurs to sluggish the balanced Thunder?

LAS VEGAS — He started the season with pressure, displaying a lot of that at each ends of the ground, all whereas displaying a extra refined and mature circulation, and this mix despatched shivers by means of the opposition. 

Sure, earlier than a calf pressure introduced every part to a short lived halt, there was no query about it, actually or in any other case — stopping Victor Wembanyama was a tall order for anybody. 

And talking of that flip of a phrase, identical goes for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, now 24-1 and swinging sledgehammers since opening evening. 

So we now have arrived right here, to this desert basketball oasis, to study which order will loom tallest come tipoff on Saturday (9 ET, Prime). Actually, that’s the flavour of this Emirates NBA Cup West Semifinal — can the return of Wemby allow the San Antonio Spurs to pump the brakes on the Thunder’s historic roll? 

Unusually sufficient, the Spurs have accomplished fairly effectively with out Wemby, thank you. They’re 9-3 this season when he’s out of the lineup, and he has been since Nov. 15 due to the calf. The Spurs performed it cautiously throughout his rehab, given how calf strains can mushroom and develop into far more troublesome. 

However Wembanyama walked into T-Cellular Enviornment, took half in Friday’s observe, then flashed the thumbs up. 

“I’m just a bit drained,” he mentioned. “However proper now, I’m feeling nice. I feel we now have accomplished the suitable issues over this previous nevertheless lengthy it’s been, three weeks, one month, and I’m feeling nice. I’m able to go.”

It is a refreshing improvement, not just for the Spurs, however for members of the Someone Please Beat OKC fan membership. All the pieces adjustments when he’s on the ground, not just for the Spurs, however the workforce throughout mid-court as effectively. 

All of the sudden, that opposition should suppose twice earlier than attacking the rim for layups and dunks. All of the sudden, there’s much more competitors for rebounds. All of the sudden, there are matchup points — like, significantly, what number of gamers can measure as much as a 7-foot-5 heart who can do injury within the paint, from mid-range and from the 3-point stripe? 

And this goes for OKC, by far the very best defensive workforce within the NBA and among the many finest all time. 

Wembanyama was huge on opening evening when he manhandled Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks with a 40-point, 15-rebound evening and didn’t taper a lot, if any. The very subsequent recreation he blocked 9 photographs in New Orleans, then dropped 31 factors in opposition to Brooklyn. 

His season developed a particular taste; it was Kia MVP-like, maybe a pure development for a participant who entered the NBA with such excessive hopes and cheap promise and steadily improved. 

When the calf harm hit, the Spurs have been 8-4. There was no timetable for his return — these accidents can be difficult — so the Spurs needed to navigate a path that all of the sudden appeared treacherous. An surprising improvement occurred: San Antonio wasn’t so susceptible. 

The response within the rotation was a collective one. Virtually everybody raised their degree of play, and the Spurs by no means skilled a dropping streak. From De’Aaron Fox to Keldon Johnson to Stephon Citadel to Devin Vassell and others, the Spurs prospered and have become one of many league’s surprises.

That’s why OKC, even with their dominant displaying to date, understands how this newest opponent may very well be totally different than the others. 

“They’re a very good workforce whether or not he’s taking part in or not,” mentioned OKC guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “It’s going to return all the way down to the issues it often does while you play actually good groups — the X’s and O’s, the eye to element, the 50/50 balls, being bodily, being good on the market. It needs to be matchup for us. Good take a look at.” 

Sure, that’s comprehensible. However there’s the Spurs with out Wemby, after which there’s the Spurs with him, even when their document with Wemby doesn’t mirror as favorably. 

The Spurs hope to merely and simply revert to regular Saturday, now that they’re full once more and Wemby’s within the lineup. They’re sure to maintain the reigns tight on Wemby, but when the rating is shut and fourth quarter assist is required, do they pull again or launch? 

Coach Mitch Johnson didn’t see this is a debate. After all — warning would be the rule. 

“Sure,” Johnson mentioned. “He’s going to be drained. The joy, the psychological fatigue, he was drained the primary time I noticed him play stay in opposition to video guys. He’s simply so excited to be again out on the courtroom. So clearly in a recreation like this, it might be, regardless. However I can solely anticipate the joy for him and wish to get on the market. So I might suspect an early sub and never his regular minutes.” 

That doesn’t imply Wemby gained’t present an influence earlier than the minutes restrictions hit. 

“We would like him to proceed to return out right here and be himself,” mentioned Fox. “We don’t need him to vary the best way that he performs. Clearly with him lacking time, I feel we now have been taking part in extraordinarily effectively even when he has been out. However him coming again into the fold, I feel that provides to us offensively and defensively. So we would like him to proceed to be himself.” 

Regardless, it’ll be a steep problem for the Spurs. The Thunder proper now are in one other world. Gilgeous-Alexander is sitting fourth quarters; no must examine again into video games which are secured by OKC’s deep bench. Chet Holmgren is feeling frisky and beginning to drop double-doubles. Talking of feeling it, Jalen Williams, again within the fold after lacking roughly two months, is getting extra snug by the sport. 

The Thunder appear so balanced and poetic that it’s laborious to identify a weakness, primarily as a result of there aren’t any obvious ones. Even when Shai has an off capturing evening — and he has made a minimum of half his photographs in 12 straight video games — there’s a lot in reserve. Anyway, OKC’s protection is able to bailing the workforce out even when Shai and Holmgren misfire.

It’s going to doubtless take the Spurs’ finest effort of the season handy the Thunder a second loss to the season. And even when their heart doesn’t spend a lot time on the ground within the fourth quarter himself, he’s feeling assured sitting on the bench. 

“I’ve been actually proud,” Wembanyama mentioned. “After all, it’s been laborious to observe from my sofa, however virtually each evening, they’ve confirmed me that I’ve nothing to fret about. The model of basketball we’re taking part in, that they’ve been taking part in, simply makes me proud as a result of it’s getting nearer to the best basketball, for my part. 

“All people has one thing to eat, you recognize. All people can step up at any time. All people can take up tasks. All people trusts their subsequent teammate. It’s simply lovely to see.” 

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Shaun Powell has lined the NBA since 1985. You may e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, discover his archive right here and observe him on X.