Thunder Face Spurs in Western Conference Finals Rematch

The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their 2026-27 NBA campaign against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, October 20, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, renewing a rivalry shaped by last season's Western Conference finals. The matchup gives both teams an early opportunity to evaluate their lineups after San Antonio advanced to the NBA Finals and Oklahoma City made offseason roster changes. According to previews published by Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated and OregonLive, the Spurs defeated the Thunder in seven games in the 2026 Western Conference finals after overcoming a 3-2 series deficit.

San Antonio subsequently lost to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals, while Oklahoma City entered the new season looking to strengthen its response to the playoff defeat. The Thunder finished the previous regular season with a 64-18 record, according to OregonLive. San Antonio had won four of Oklahoma City's 18 regular-season losses, Yahoo Sports reported, establishing a difficult matchup that extended into the postseason.

Oklahoma City also entered the new campaign with several roster adjustments. According to Sports Illustrated, the Thunder traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe during the offseason while extending guard Cason Wallace's contract. The team also added Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 Spanish center who was the reigning NCAA champion and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, according to the preview from Pounding the Rock.

Coach Mark Daigneault faces questions about the team's perimeter defense following Dort's departure and how its frontcourt combinations will function against San Antonio's length. Yahoo Sports identified Wallace's defensive responsibilities, Mara's potential role against Victor Wembanyama, and the possibility of pairing Chet Holmgren with Isaiah Hartenstein as important areas to evaluate. Holmgren's matchup with Wembanyama is particularly significant after the Spurs center helped disrupt Oklahoma City's offense during the previous season. Pounding the Rock reported that Hartenstein frequently defended Wembanyama in the playoffs, leaving Oklahoma City to assess whether Holmgren or Mara could take on more of that responsibility during the new campaign.

San Antonio, meanwhile, planned to feature a three-guard starting group of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper alongside Devin Vassell and Wembanyama. Pounding the Rock reported that coach Mitch Johnson intended to use the trio more frequently than last season, with Tobias Harris' calf injury creating an opportunity to test the arrangement. Harris and first-round pick Jayden Quaintance were ruled out for San Antonio's opener, according to the previews. Oklahoma City was also without Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber and Otega Oweh, who were sidelined with back, knee and Achilles injuries, respectively.

Sports Illustrated identified the availability of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell as important to Oklahoma City's prospects after both missed significant portions of the previous playoff series. Williams had also been dealing with injury issues, making his condition and integration into the lineup important considerations for the Thunder. The matchup also provides an early test for San Antonio's young guards against Oklahoma City's defense.

According to Sports Illustrated, the Fox-Castle-Harper combination had been outscored by 47 points across 69 minutes together during the previous season, although those minutes included appearances against teams with different lineup configurations. Both teams entered the season with expectations of returning to the Western Conference finals. The opening game offered an initial assessment of their personnel and tactical adjustments, with the Thunder seeking improvements against a Spurs team that had eliminated them from the previous postseason.