Anyone with eyeballs and a pulse will testify that Saturday’s Emirates Cup semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the top games of the season. The fourth quarter alone had six lead changes, and if one didn’t know any better, they might think they w itnessed a playoff game. The Spurs punched their ticket to the Emirates Cup Finals by toppling the top team in the league. The Thunder habitually break opponents down mentally when taking double-digit leads, but the Spurs resisted when trailing by 16 points, and four of them went on to log at least 20 points, giving OKC their first loss in 38 days (16 games). Of course, it’s just one night, and the Thunder can’t fly that high forever, but it’s a big deal that the Spurs could beat the squad that matched the best start through 25 games in NBA history (24-1), in a meaningful game.  OKC’s pressure had the Spurs on the ropes most of the first half, committing 11 turnovers and missing makeable 3-pointers that had their offense resembling an old car that takes a few key turns to start. Yet as the thought that maybe this team isn’t ready for prime time probably raced through fans’ minds, everything changed in Victor Wembanyama’s stints as he threw his size around on the glass and set up teammates. He played like he knew time was running out, and it led to some poor decision-making with the ball, but he was the main reason they cut the deficit to three going into intermission. A few minutes into the third quarter, De’Aaron Fox snatched San Antonio‘s first lead of the night as he raced past orange jerseys in transition. They didn’t lead by more than six points because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got where he wanted when he wanted.  Naturally, Wemby saved his best for the fourth, nailing four baskets between three and 14 feet. Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle got in on the action, too, making two 3-pointers and two shots in the lane, helping the Spurs pull off the upset. The Cup finale will be on Tuesday against the New York Knicks, who have won 16 of their last 20 outings. Takeaways; San Antonio’s half-court and transition attack were hindered. On top of that, their two best snipers-Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie- shot 7.7 percent from deep. Yet the defense, not permitting anyone other than SGA to become much of a factor, and the extra effort on the glass helped San Antonio escape the Thunder. Kornet had a third (5) of the team’s offensive rebounds, and three Spurs had at least eight boards. In a game that was decided by one possession, San Antonio‘s 10-point edge in second-chance scoring was as good as gold, too. As much as the champs get every team’s best effort every night, they are giving that right back since they are trying to break the 73-win record set by the Golden State Warriors in 2015-16, according to SGA. Their average point differential before the game was over 17 points. The Spurs, who had everybody available for the first time this year, held them to their lowest offensive rating of the season (101.9) in part by speeding them up.  Wembanyama is back in the saddle on a minutes restriction and it seemed the strategy was to spare him most of the first half to safely empty the tank after intermission. He followed up his dominant short burst, checking into the second half over four minutes in. He struggled more with ball security and missed two late freebies, but his jumper was on target, and his paint pressure was too much to handle. Fifteen of his 22 points came in the fourth quarter.  Credit to coach Mitch Johnson for handling the minutes distribution with eight players getting between 21 and 37, and then there was Keldon Johnson, who only had 14. Incorporating a big-time player back into a rotation when things have been working is no easy business. The Spurs had their lowest offensive rating of the season, but the quality of their opponent has a lot to do with that. Still, the flow is something to monitor going forward as players adjust to can getting fewer touches. There’s so much to say about Wemby, and that’s because he’s just as much of a rockstar off the court as he is on. He said before his comeback that he would be the best player, and then after the game said the difference between the Spurs and the defending champions is that they “haven’t had this many reps recognizing what it takes and enjoying what it takes to win.”  Now and then, you get a reminder that Wembanyama is still far away from his physical peak when smaller players get away with guarding him.  This time it was Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso, but Wemby is a smart guy, who counters with length when they try to body him up.  Castle six turnovers looks hideous on the stat sheet, yet his impact in other areas makes up for it. Fourteen of his 22 points came in the lane, and his defense on the ball (especially on SGA) and as a helper were critical in helping the Spurs advance.  SGA has mastered pull-up shooting. He zigzags to his spots easily and creates separation for clean jumpers because of his extra level of twitchiness. He made 68.8 percent of his two-point shots; however, all three of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter missed due to a Spur getting in his air space promptly.  ...read more read less