Aday Mara made his NBA debut in one of the most anticipated games of opening night, and he made an impression. The Aragonese center played nearly 12 minutes in the Oklahoma City Thunder's victory at the Frost Bank Center (116-104) and finished with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, shooting 3 of 4 from the field. He scored the Thunder's final basket with 24 seconds remaining.
The debut came in a game with plenty on the line. It was a rematch of last spring's Western Conference Finals, which the Spurs won in seven games before falling to the Knicks in the Finals, and the Thunder came out looking for revenge from the opening tip.
https://youtu.be/GCtLRnNlfRc?si=jRNtXFpG_mmdPHT0
A first half of 65 points
Oklahoma City dominated from start to finish. They won the first quarter 34-28 with a 7-0 run midway through the period, and in the second quarter they opened up a massive lead. A 9-0 run early in that quarter pushed the advantage to 26 points (59-33) with three minutes left before halftime. The teams went into the break at 65-44, with the Spurs managing just 16 points in the second quarter.
The key was the defense on Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman, last season's Defensive Player of the Year, made just 1 of his 13 field goal attempts and missed all four of his three-pointers. He finished with 12 points, most from the free throw line (10 of 12), along with 13 rebounds and 6 blocks, but never found his rhythm on offense.
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Spurs' comeback falls short
The Spurs came out of the locker room looking different. They opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run, won the quarter 36-28, and in the fourth got within seven points (104-97) with 4:18 remaining, led by Stephon Castle with 24 points and 5 three-pointers. They couldn't get any closer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 32 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, kept the Thunder steady during their most vulnerable moment, and a 7-0 run pushed the lead back to double digits (111-97).
The other big name of the night came off the bench. Jared McCain scored 20 points in 22 minutes on 6 of 8 from three-point range, and his baskets were crucial in preventing the Spurs' comeback from going further. Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 4 blocks, and Dylan Harper was San Antonio's second-leading scorer with 18 points.