SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — The San Antonio Spurs, leveraging a dominant first half and a balanced scoring attack, defeated the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 116-106 on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center, securing their fourth victory in as many meetings this season.

In front of a crowd of 18,354, the Spurs (34-17) never trailed, building a commanding 73-58 halftime lead that the injury-depleted Thunder (40-12) could not overcome. The win pulled San Antonio within five games of the Western Conference-leading Thunder.

The most critical phase of the game was its explosive start. San Antonio came out scorching, shooting 58% from the field in the opening quarter and racing to a 39-26 lead. The Spurs’ offensive efficiency, coupled with a disruptive defensive effort that forced four early Thunder turnovers, set a tone of control. That momentum carried into the second period, where they extended the advantage to as many as 17 points. Oklahoma City’s 58 first-half points, while respectable, were rendered insufficient by San Antonio’s 73, a deficit from which the visitors spent the entire second half trying to recover.

Keldon Johnson led all scorers with 25 points for the Spurs, while Victor Wembanyama controlled the interior with 22 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. De’Aaron Fox orchestrated the offense with 15 points and 10 assists. Rookie forward Carter Bryant provided a key spark off the bench, matching a season high with 11 points.

Oklahoma City, playing short-handed, was carried by a heroic effort from Jaylin Williams. The forward from Fort Smith, Arkansas, logged 40 minutes and posted 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Kenrich Williams added 25 points and nine rebounds, and Aaron Wiggins contributed 20 points and six assists. Despite their efforts, the Thunder could not consistently string together stops to seriously threaten the Spurs’ lead in the second half, getting no closer than seven points in the fourth quarter.

San Antonio’s victory was built on superior execution in key areas. They outrebounded Oklahoma City 60-48, including an 18-9 advantage on the offensive glass that led to 18 second-chance points. The Spurs also won the possession battle, committing only 12 turnovers to Oklahoma City’s 14 while generating 11 steals. Though both teams shot nearly identical percentages from three-point range, San Antonio’s volume inside the arc – they made 31 two-point field goals to Oklahoma City’s 18 – proved decisive.

The Thunder, who entered the game with a 55.6% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system and were 2-point favorites, shot just 39.8% from the field overall. Their offensive rating of 101.3 on 105 possessions paled in comparison to San Antonio’s mark of 111.0 on 104 trips.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Oklahoma City, which had routed Orlando 128-92 the previous night. San Antonio has now won two straight following a road loss to Charlotte.

The Spurs will look to continue their momentum Thursday on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. Oklahoma City returns home to face the Houston Rockets on Saturday.