Victor Wembanyama in a black San Antonio Spurs jersey during a game
Wikimedia Commons (free licence; photographer credited on the Commons file page)

Summary

  • The San Antonio Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Frost Bank Center, with tip-off at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
  • It is the opening game of the season for both teams and a rematch of last spring's seven-game Western Conference finals, which the Spurs won.
  • Spurs forward Tobias Harris is out with a calf strain; Thunder center Chet Holmgren missed the preseason with a quad issue, per Last Word On Sports.
  • The game had not started when this brief was published, so there is no result to report.

Opening night in San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder open their 2026-27 seasons against each other on Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Tip-off is 9:30 p.m. Eastern (8:30 p.m. local), with national coverage on NBC and Peacock, according to an iHeart listing and KSAT. [1] [4]

Both teams were 0-0 going in. The game had not started at the time of publication, and no score, box score or player statistics were available. [4]

Why this matchup draws attention

The Spurs beat the Thunder 4-3 in last season's Western Conference finals, clinching with a 111-103 win in Game 7 in Oklahoma City on May 30, Sports Illustrated reported. Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points for San Antonio, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 for the defending champions, SI said. [3] [5]

San Antonio then reached its first NBA Finals since 2014 and lost to the New York Knicks, KSAT reported. During the 2025-26 regular season the Spurs went 62-20 and the Thunder 64-18, the league's best record for a second straight year, per KSAT. Last Word On Sports said the Spurs also beat the Thunder four times in the regular season. [1] [2]

Lineups, injuries and roster changes

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will start De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Wembanyama, KSAT reported. Forward Tobias Harris will miss his Spurs debut with a left calf strain suffered in training camp, and rookie Jayden Quaintance is out after right knee surgery in July. [1]

Last Word On Sports projected Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein as the Thunder starters. The outlet said Williams returns after missing the entire conference finals, that Oklahoma City traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, and that Holmgren's conditioning is a question after his preseason quad issue. Those lineups are projections, not confirmed by the team in the sources reviewed. [2]

What to watch

Last Word On Sports noted that Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20 or more points in 140 straight games and that San Antonio was the last team to hold him below 20. It also pointed to Wembanyama's 2025-26 averages of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks. [2]

KSAT reported that both rosters return largely intact after a short offseason. Castle told the outlet the team feels more confident than it did a year ago. Betting lines reported in previews vary by outlet and have likely moved, and are not a result. This brief will need updating once a final score is available. [1] [2]

Reporting sources

  1. KSAT · Short offseason, big expectations as Spurs face Thunder on opening night ↗2026-10-20
  2. Last Word On Sports · Spurs vs. Thunder Preview, Picks, and Score Prediction ↗2026-10-20
  3. Sports Illustrated · Spurs-Thunder Game 7 Takeaways: How San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama Took Down Defending Champs ↗2026-05-30
  4. iHeart (AM 1300 The Zone) · Thunder vs. Spurs Time, TV & Stream ↗2026-10-20
  5. Mining Gazette (AP) · Wembanyama, Spurs win the West, topple Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 to head to NBA Finals ↗2026-05-31

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