The Oklahoma City Thunder carry a significant amount of momentum as they charge into San Antonio to confront the struggling Spurs on Thursday in a Western Conference clash between teams situated at opposite ends of the standings.

With a six-game winning streak under their belt, the Thunder have managed to stay in step with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the summit of the Western Conference standings. Oklahoma City secured a 112-95 victory against Houston at home on Tuesday to wrap up a series sweep over three consecutive nights.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout performer with 31 points for the Thunder, who now boast a record of 41-17, surpassing last season’s 40 wins.

“We brought physicality from the jump tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn’t have our best offensive game, but we brought the fight to them in the beginning.”

“We were able to kind of get a lead and maintain the lead for most of the night because of it.”

Gilgeous-Alexander showcased his prowess late in the third quarter, propelling Oklahoma City from a mere three-point lead to a commanding 84-74 advantage heading into the final period.

“I just take what the defense gives me and trust my work,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “There’s moments, and you can feel it, when you’ve got it going and you should be aggressive. And there’s also moments when you need your teammates and you’ve got to kind of play the game.”

Jalen Williams contributed 24 points, Chet Holmgren recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Josh Giddey chipped in with 14 points for Oklahoma City, matching their season-high winning streak.

The Spurs return home following a disappointing Rodeo Road Trip during which they suffered eight defeats in nine games, culminating in a 114-105 loss to Minnesota in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 21 points in the defeat, supported by Keldon Johnson‘s 20 points, a strong performance from Victor Wembanyama with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks, Malaki Branham‘s 12 points, and contributions of 11 and 10 points from Tre Jones and Cedi Osman respectively.

A critical factor in the game was San Antonio’s 23 turnovers, leading to 30 points for the Timberwolves.

“You can’t win games when you give up 30 points off turnovers,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s the bottom line. Every time we’ve done that this year, we’ve gotten our butts kicked. That happened again (against Minnesota). Everything else is pretty irrelevant.”

With a 15-point deficit at halftime and a 24-point gap late in the third quarter, San Antonio staged a spirited comeback with an explosive 38-point offensive showcase in the final period.

The Spurs managed to reduce the deficit to six points in the closing minutes but fell short on time, extending their losing streak to five games and marking their 12th defeat in the last 13 matches.

Wembanyama emphasized the importance of accountability within the team for their errors, stating that it is an integral part of the learning process.

“This is the only way to get better,” Wembanyama said. “We have to make those mistakes to get better, but the quicker, the better.”

Oklahoma City has emerged victorious in the initial two games of this season’s series, defeating the Spurs by 36 points at home in November and by 26 in San Antonio on Jan. 24.