The Oklahoma City Thunder started the preseason well, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in an entertaining 112-107 battle.

Rookie second-rounder Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder in scoring with 19 points and made seven of his nine 2-point attempts.

Jalen Williams scored 18 points on 14 shots and also contributed four rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes.

Julian Champagnie led the Spurs scoring 22 points, including six 3-pointers. His seven rebounds tied with Jeremy Sochan for San Antonio’s lead.

Oklahoma City won the offensive rebounding (11-9) and turnover battles (21-15), reflecting the importance of the four factors.

Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Ousmane Dieng joined regulars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup for the 2024-25 season. Mark Daigneault played Wallace, Wiggins, Dieng, Isaiah Joe and rookie Dillon Jones to start the second half.

The Thunder got off to a slow and noticeably rusty start, committing multiple turnovers and going scoreless in the first two minutes before Jalen Williams hit a top three.

San Antonio’s early game plan was to drive into the paint and kick to open shooters – Sochan and Champagnie were the beneficiaries, each splashing a three-pointer to wow the Frost Bank Center crowd.

Newcomers Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso checked in after six minutes. Hartenstein and Holmgren showcased their immense defensive potential by taking turns roaming the paint and contesting rim attempts.

Hartenstein assisted Caruso with a deft pass behind the head for a smooth baseline jumper, his first shot in a Thunder jersey. One possession later, Caruso connected with Holmgren on an alley-oop layup to force a Spurs timeout.

Oklahoma City went on a 10-0 run midway through the first quarter, with all 10 points coming on layups by Holmgren and Wallace. Holmgren scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the first frame but went to the locker room after a fall that appeared to affect his groin.

Mitchell fed Isaiah Hartenstein for a layup over Blake Wesley, marking his first Thunder points. Mitchell then drove past Sandro Mamukelashvili and scored an uncontested layup.

Mamukelashvili sank back-to-back 3-pointers to get San Antonio back in the game, but an off-court lob from Caruso on Williams gave the Thunder a five-point lead after the first quarter.

Hartenstein recorded an offensive rebound and a putback layup, and Caruso grabbed a steal in the paint early in the second period, showcasing her uncommon skills on this Thunder squad.

Mitchell seemed comfortable as he reached the rim and made all four layup attempts in the first half. Dillon Jones scored his first Thunder points with a 10-foot paint pull-up jumper.

Williams made back-to-back 3-pointers and a 1-1 free throw at the line to end the first half, giving Oklahoma City a 58-45 halftime lead.

Hartenstein collected eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, and provided seven assists in his 17 first-half minutes to fuel the Thunder’s offense. He and Caruso each managed a steal and block and forced numerous deflections on San Antonio pass attempts. The offseason additions were both +20 at halftime.

Oklahoma City’s defense held the Spurs in check on 16-for-46 (34.8%) shooting and 8-for-25 (32.0%) from distance in the first half.

Their rim protection suffered in the second half with Holmgren and Hartenstein out. The Spurs made their first six shot attempts in the restricted zone after halftime, highlighted by Sochan’s aggressiveness and a deft cut to the basket by Tre Jones.

Dieng faked a dribble handoff to Joe and hit a high-flying dunk for his play of the night. Dillon Jones displayed strong shooting technique, showcased by several sideways jumpers from mid-range, to keep Oklahoma City on top for most of the third quarter.

Malaki Branham hit two straight 3-pointers as part of a 10-0 Spurs run, tying the game at 82 apiece. Reigning No. 4 pick Stephon Castle hit a fierce dunk over Alex Ducas, prompting loud chants of “Go Spurs Go.” The Thunder had a narrow two-point lead entering the final frame.

Both teams gave their starters a rest in the fourth quarter. Alex Ducas scored his first five Thunder points with a layup and a three-pointer in the left corner. He made two impressive blocks, including a no-jump strip against Nathan Mensah.

Malevy Leons, newcomer from Exhibit 10, provided active perimeter defense and made two inside balls.

The Thunder host the Houston Rockets for their second preseason game this Wednesday, October 9th at 7pm CST.

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