The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t done much losing as a team during the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. So when they were defeated in a hard fought contest against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, cameras showed that they had a tough time handling being on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
Thunder Players Frustrated After NBA Cup Semi-Finals Loss
The game was intense from the opening tip. Playing in Las Vegas, the Spurs and Thunder were vying for a spot in the NBA Cup Finals, where they’d meet the New York Knicks, who punched their ticket earlier in the evening.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama after upsetting the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals: “I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful — pure and ethical basketball.” pic.twitter.com/AoBAUlTSgs
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 14, 2025
OKC came in as a heavy favorite, and for good reason. They had won 16 games in a row on their way to a 24-1 start, tied for the best 25-game mark by any team ever, and were dominating teams on a nightly basis. The Spurs were also planning on using star center Victor Wembanyama on a limited basis, as he came off the bench for the first time in his career.
The oddsmakers placed the betting line at -11.5 points in favor of the Thunder, and the Spurs came in with a +390 money line designation.
In the second half of the game, the largest lead by either team was six points. The final twelve minutes were intense and hard-fought, with superstar plays being made and overall marquee NBA action taking place. The Spurs ended up winning by a slim 111-109 margin, and the Thunder apparently think that OKC was a beneficiary of some favorable calls.
On the final play of the game, the Thunder intentionally missed a free throw, and the rebound came to guard Alex Caruso. He attempted to tip the ball into the basket to tie the game at the buzzer, but was he was contested by Devin Vassell and the tip fell short. There was a question of whether there was contact on the attempt, and OKC certainly believes there was.
Hartenstein, Caruso Unhappy With Lack Of Call On Final Play
In the immediate moments following the final buzzer, cameras caught the frustration of Thunder players. Isaiah Hartenstein muttered “That bulls–t was a foul” as he walked back into the locker room, and he was soon followed by Caruso himself. The defensive-minded guard wasn’t happy either, as he alluded to the refs calling “ticky tack” fouls all game but not giving him the benefit in the final seconds.
Caruso & Hartenstein were NOT happy after OKC’s loss 😳
“That bulls—t was a foul” 👀
(via @YahooSports) pic.twitter.com/ouQNvuN45k
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2025
The Spurs will move on to the NBA Cup Final game, which will be played on Tuesday night. The Thunder, who suffered their first loss since November 5th, won’t be in action again until Thursday night. Interestingly, the two sides will meet again twice over the next couple of weeks, including a premier matchup on Christmas Day.
For a Thunder team with championship aspirations, the bigger challenge will be ensuring frustration doesn’t linger. How they respond in their next few games may say more than anything said in the tunnels on Saturday night.
