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I’ve gathered the necessary data: Hand over the Spurs the keys to Santa Claus’ toy factory. Put Castle in command of present construction. Let De’Aaron Fox deliver presents into rooftops, from any range he’d like. Devin Vassell can design the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the troop of assistants taken care of. And, of course, Santa Claus’s vehicle must promptly be reconfigured for a taller, leaner pilot so that the immense Victor Wembanyama can navigate it with ease.

The stunning Spurs have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trio of matchups in two weeks, and in doing so have revitalized this basketball campaign. I now have a stronger conviction in the team's ability to deliver excitement to the public than any Christmas stories of old.

An Ominous Opening

It was concerning for a while there. The Oklahoma City might have captured the NBA championship in June, but commenced this season in increasingly threatening form. They reeled off 24 victories in their opening 25 matchups (the single setback was a unlikely 20-point rally). In the majority of those games, Williams, their second-best player, was on the bench recovering from wrist surgery. SGA, their premier player, seldom had to play in the final period. The Thunder routed the Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some predicted to be a credible challenger, lost by 29; their offensive genius Doncic looked like he was facing ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ gallant opening resulted in a narrow defeat, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder triumphed by 49. This game signaled the definitive end and started winter 10 days early. Oklahoma City appeared able to demolishing any opponent in its path, even the Warriors' fabled regular season record of 73-9.

Debating Their Approach

The Thunder are not known for a especially pleasing form of basketball. They skillfully exploit the officials' quandary over which fouls to call (a constant whistle breaks the pace of the game, an absent one lets players get away with blatant violations), often causing SGA shooting foul shots after calls that would be left uncalled, while personified nuisance Alex Caruso seems to have carte blanche to do whatever he likes on defense. Some say they appreciate, SGA contorting his body to invite small bumps from defenders; I can only assume those same people also like being struck hard in a sensitive area. That’s not to mention physical force Luguentz Dort leaving his feet and into opponents after plenty of questionably light touches. This tactics allows detractors to cling to the fantasy that in a world with flawless officiating, the Thunder would be a middling team. Real basketball heads know it’s far more exasperating than fundamental to the Thunder’s success, but the general irritation is enough to nudge some fans who might otherwise be neutral into cheering for Oklahoma City’s demise.

Dominance can be impressively clinical to watch, but a record-setting performance tends to inspire diminished wonder the more times it happens again. How many times does anyone really want to watch one team beat another by 35? In the end you remember that the intrigue is the point. The Thunder were sapping the season of suspense, running up leads on other teams in the standings as well as on the floor.

The San Antonio Response

Through 21 minutes of the initial San Antonio vs. OKC game this season, San Antonio trailed by 16 and seemed poised to go the identical path as every other team. Instead, they have unleashed chaos on the Thunder ever since.

Against the Spurs, the Thunder look mortal. Each member of their key players deserves considerable credit for that, but this is Wembanyama's team, and the Thunder know it. “There’s this guy on their team that’s 7'5" and commands a lot of area on the court,” Williams said, with some irritation, when asked what made the Spurs such a difficult opponent. The Thunder’s tall defender, 7ft 1in Chet Holmgren, is the biggest player on the floor in most games, free to secure boards and swat down opposing shots. Next to Wemby, he’s smaller, unpolished, and even hesitant. Victor's disdain for Holmgren is obvious in how he reacts each time Holmgren misses a free throw, as though he’s hit the jackpot; the way he commits a foul on him with a bit of unnecessary force; the way he told reporters he refuses to acknowledge Holmgren a competitor. (There is indeed no debate over which player is better.) At this rate Holmgren must expect Wemby to emerge from the cupboard, taunting, when he stretches for a bite to eat.

A Christmas Statement

The Spurs led by Wembanyama made their most conclusive statement yet on Christmas, routing the Thunder by 15 on their home court. San Antonio withstood the inevitable early punch well yet again, recovering to drop 41 points on the league’s stingiest defense in the first quarter. Fox seamlessly found the miniscule holes in that defense to the total of 29 points. The Spurs even limited Gilgeous-Alexander to a year-low 22. He attempted to offset it by firing passes to open teammates behind the arc, but they disappointed by bricking almost every single attempt.

A Thunder believer would say that enough of those threes will go in in a rematch to produce a victory or a more competitive loss, but I found the misses symptomatic of a flaw. Off the foundation of his effortless stepback jumper, SGA is the most consistent scoring force in the league. He is tough to guard and extremely difficult to stop. But even he can’t bear an offense solely on his own. The Spurs put him under such intense scrutiny that he had to pass more than usual, and his teammates struggled under the greater burden. Dort and Caruso are good for the sporadic three-pointer, but relying on them to knock down the long shot is the least desirable situation the Thunder want to be.

Shifting the Balance

The Spurs’ surge couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only have they decisively established themselves as title contenders – but they’ve enabled fans to see the Thunder in {higher definition|sharper focus|