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I’ve observed ample evidence: Give the San Antonio Spurs the access to Santa Claus’ toy factory. Assign Stephon Castle in charge of gift manufacturing. Allow Fox deliver gifts into fireplaces, from whatever range he’d like. Vassell can design the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the brigade of assistants covered. And, of course, the sleigh's sleigh must promptly be reconfigured for a taller, leaner pilot so that the looming Wembanyama can operate it comfortably.

The electrifying Spurs have toppled the Oklahoma City Thunder on three occasions in two weeks, and in the process have breathed new life into this basketball campaign. I now have more faith in the Spurs’ ability to grant happiness to the public than any holiday legends of old.

A Grim Beginning

It appeared grim for a time. The Thunder might have claimed the NBA championship in June, but commenced this season in even more ominous form. They reeled off 24 victories in their opening 25 matchups (the sole defeat was a unlikely 20-point rally). In the majority of those games, Jalen Williams, their star supporting player, was on the bench recovering from wrist surgery. Gilgeous-Alexander, their premier player, rarely had to play in the final period. The Thunder beat the Kings by 31. The Lakers, who some thought to be a possible rival, fell by 29; their basketball savant Doncic appeared as if he was competing with ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ spirited first got them a narrow defeat, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder triumphed by 49. This game knocked all the remaining leaves off the trees and ushered in the cold season 10 days early. Oklahoma City looked capable of dominating anything in its path, even the Warriors' fabled regular season record of 73-9.

A Question of Style

The Thunder do not employ a particularly appealing brand of basketball. They expertly exploit the officials' dilemma over which fouls to call (a consistent whistle disrupts the rhythm of the game, an inconsistent one allows players escape punishment for blatant violations), often resulting in Gilgeous-Alexander taking free throws after calls that would be left uncalled, while personified pest Caruso seems to have total license to do whatever he likes on defense. Some profess to enjoy, SGA maneuvering his body to elicit minor bumps from defenders; I can only assume those same people also like being kicked hard in a sensitive area. That’s not to mention physical force Luguentz Dort flying off his feet and into opponents after many suspiciously minimal touches. This chicanery lets critics to harbor the notion that in a world with ideal officiating, the Thunder would be a middling team. True knowledgeable fans know it’s far more annoying than integral to the Thunder’s success, but the general frustration is sufficient to incline some fans who might otherwise be indifferent into cheering for Oklahoma City’s demise.

Dominance can be coldly thrilling to watch, but a historically great performance tends to evoke reduced amazement the more times it repeats. How many times does anyone really want to watch one team beat another by 35? Eventually you remember that the drama is the point. The Thunder were sucking the season of intrigue, accumulating leads on other teams in the standings as well as on the court.

A New Challenger Emerges

Through 21 minutes of the first San Antonio vs. OKC game this season, San Antonio trailed by 16 and seemed poised to go the identical path as every other team. Instead, they have unleashed chaos on the Thunder ever since.

Against the Spurs, the Thunder look human. Each member of their core deserves immense credit for that, but this is Victor Wembanyama’s team, and the Thunder know it. “There’s this man on their team that’s seven-foot-five and commands a lot of area on the court,” Williams stated, with some frustration, when asked what made the Spurs such a hard team to beat. The Thunder’s lanky center, 7'1" Chet Holmgren, is the biggest player on the floor in most games, at liberty to secure boards and reject opposing shots. Next to Wembanyama, he’s smaller, crude, and even hesitant. Victor's contempt for Holmgren is evident in how he exults each time Chet misses a free throw, as though he’s hit the jackpot; the way he commits a foul on him with a bit of added intensity; the way he told reporters he refuses to acknowledge Holmgren a peer. (There is indeed no debate over which player is superior.) At this rate Holmgren must expect Wemby to burst out of the cupboard, talking smack, when he reaches up for a treat.

A Festive Declaration

The Spurs led by Wembanyama made their most conclusive statement yet on Christmas, routing the Thunder by 15 on their home floor. San Antonio withstood the inevitable early punch well yet again, recovering to drop 41 points on the league’s best defense in the first quarter. De'Aaron Fox effortlessly found the miniscule holes in that defense to the total of 29 points. The Spurs even restricted Gilgeous-Alexander to a year-low 22. He tried to compensate by whipping passes to wide-open teammates behind the arc, but they failed him by clanking almost every single attempt.

A Thunder supporter would say that enough of those threes will go in next time to produce a win or a more competitive loss, but I found the failed attempts symptomatic of a weakness. Off the foundation of his silky-smooth stepback jumper, Gilgeous-Alexander is the steadiest scoring weapon in the league. He is difficult to guard and nearly unguardable to stop. But even he can’t bear an offense entirely on his own. The Spurs put him under sufficient duress that he had to distribute more than usual, and his role players broke down under the greater burden. Caruso and Dort are good for the periodic three-pointer, but relying on them to make the long shot is the least desirable situation the Thunder want to be.

Shifting the Balance

The Spurs’ rise couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Not only have they emphatically cemented themselves as legitimate challengers – but they’ve allowed fans to see the Thunder in {higher definition|sharper focus|