Thunder’s blazing start cools in NBA Cup semifinal loss, but repeat title remains priority
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Oklahoma City’s bid for a second piece of hardware this season ended Saturday when the Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals, halting a dominant run that had made a historic regular-season pace look attainable.
The defending champions, who went 68-14 last year, entered the matchup with a 24-2 record, tied with the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best 25-game start in league history. The 129-121 defeat snapped that surge and left Oklahoma City to refocus on its primary goal of back-to-back NBA titles.
Forward Jalen Williams called the setback “frustrating” after posting 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals on 5-of-17 shooting. “An average team would probably be like, ‘Oh, it’s the Cup, whatever,’” Williams said. “We can go home and hang our hat on that, or we can look at it as a way to get better.”
Oklahoma City’s players have openly acknowledged awareness of Golden State’s 73-9 record from 2015-16, yet insist the milestone is secondary. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier in the week that topping the Warriors’ mark “would absolutely be meaningful,” according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, but reiterated after Saturday’s loss that daily improvement outweighs any chase for 73 wins.
“My goal is to get better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “If we get better than what we are now, that should take care of itself. If we stack nights like we did tonight, we won’t even come close.”
With the Cup run over, Oklahoma City turns back to the 82-game schedule. The Thunder resume regular-season play still owning the NBA’s best record, but mindful that December success guarantees nothing next spring.
Source: Hoops Wire
