The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have built a heated rivalry over the past year, with Victor Wembanyama and Co. holding an 8-4 edge, including their Western Conference Finals win. The tension simmered throughout the regular season, intensified in the playoffs, and has now carried over into the new season.

A physical exchange between De’Aaron Fox and Chet Holmgren quickly turned into a heated confrontation between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. With 9:21 remaining in the second quarter, Fox forcefully took Holmgren to the floor while defending him in the paint during an Oklahoma City possession. The play immediately drew a reaction from the Thunder, with teammates stepping in to protect their big man.

Jaylin Williams was the first to confront Fox, getting in the Spurs guard’s face as tensions began to rise. Jalen Williams also rushed toward the scene, and what started as a dispute over one physical play soon escalated into a larger altercation involving players from both teams.

The situation took another turn when Victor Wembanyama entered the fray. The Spurs star came rushing to protect Fox and became involved in a shoving exchange with Jaylin Williams, adding to the growing tension between the two sides. As more players gathered around them, the confrontation became increasingly chaotic.

At one point, Wemby’s jersey was pulled as players continued to push and clashed with one another. Several appeared to exchange swipes, while teammates and coaches rushed in to separate and prevent the incident from escalating further. The scuffle drew multiple players away from the action as emotions boiled over on the court.

“After review we see that De’Aaron Fox takes Chet Holmgren and throws him to the ground. It’s an unnecessary act. It’s going to be a flagrant foul penalty one on De’Aaron Fox. Additionally, during the altercation, Victor wenbenyama will receive a technical foul and then Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams, and Jalen Williams will receive technical fouls.”

The officials assessed Fox a Flagrant 1 for the unnecessary shove that sent Holmgren to the floor. They also handed out four technical fouls, one each to Victor Wembanyama and Thunder players Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams, and Kenrich Williams, following the ensuing scuffle.

First, the Spurs were awarded two free throws, which Wemby took, and then Holmgren did the same for the Thunder. The two teams remain favorites for the West Finals spot, and clearly there is no love lost between the two sides.

Chet Holmgren tried to downplay the rivalry with Wembanyama a few days ago. He even pushed back that facing San Antonio felt different from playing other Western Conference contenders. While Chet may feel that way, the emotions on the hardwood say otherwise.