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Pounding The Rock

For all your Manu Ginobili loving and San Antonio Spurs news

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Dylan Harper named to All-Rookie First Team

The Spurs won’t have a third consecutive Rookie of the Year, as the Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg claimed that honor, but that doesn’t mean Dylan Harper’s excellent play will go unrecognized. The second overall pick of the 2025 draft got a spot in the All-Rookie First Team, the league announced. Harper received 93 first-place votes and […]

It’s time for Playoff Basketball: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma Thunder, Game 2

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site […]

NBA

The epic series opener of Spurs vs. Thunder and what to expect in Game 2

After a classic Game 1 in which the Spurs led most of the time over the Thunder despite no De’Aaron Fox but had to overcome their own mistakes and ride some Wemby Magic to a double-overtime victory, we continue our third Fraternizing with the Enemy series of these playoffs with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder. […]

Open Thread: Spurs prepare for the Thunder’s reply

After Monday night’s double-overtime extravaganza, the Spurs were taking Tuesday to themselves to rest and reset for Wednesday night’s Game 2. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie gave some time to the media to answer some questions regarding the events of the last twenty or so hours. After the press conference […]

Game 2 preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Spurs took homecourt advantage from the Thunder in Game 1, which became an instant classic. While missing De’Aaron Fox, who might still be out a while longer, they went to Oklahoma City and handed the home team its first loss of the entire playoffs in double overtime. Now they’ll look to take a commanding […]

The historic stat that predicts a Spurs series win

Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder will go down as one of the most epic playoff games for both the Spurs and NBA — something this rivalry has had a knack for generating over the last 15 years. The young Spurs led most of the time against the […]

What We Learned from the Spurs Game 1 win over the Thunder

In my life as a god-fearing, basketball-watching, Spurs-loving human being, I’m not sure I’ve ever hated a shot more than that three Victor took from the logo. As soon as he pulled up I shouted NO. It felt like time stopped. I could sense my life flashing before my eyes. Everything good in the world […]

Box Grades: San Antonio strikes first in dramatic OT win

WOW. What an incredible way to start this series, and what a statement game from Wemby. Furthermore, even though this game was close, it was actually characterized by some HUGE box score differentials for each team. In other words, this wasn’t a game in which the Spurs collected the win by registering lots of tiny […]

Spurs snap Thunder’s playoff win streak, win Game 1 in double OT thriller

The noise inside Paycom Center was deafening long before tipoff. Thunder fans arrived expecting the defending NBA champions to make another statement. Oklahoma City had spent the season looking untouchable, rolling through the Western Conference behind back-to-back MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the league’s deepest roster. Across the floor stood a young San Antonio Spurs […]

An optimistic preview of the Spurs vs. Thunder series

It’s a big day for the Spurs as they kick off their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2017, and it’s against none other than an old rival who has given the Spurs a few very tough tests in their short existence in the Oklahoma City Thunder. Going up against the defending champions without homecourt […]

Renewing an old rivalry between the Spurs and Thunder

I’ve said before that one of my favorite things about being editor-in-chief of this website is reaching out to the writers that cover other teams and having conversations with them. The Fraternizing with the Enemy series is one of the things of which I’m most proud from my tenure at PtR. So when I say […]

Spurs vs. Thunder: Styles, matchups, and X-factors

There hasn’t been a playoff series since the 2018 Western Conference Finals that carries as much anticipation as the upcoming Spurs-Thunder clash, and for good reason. Both teams could upset Adam Silver’s precious era of parity, and the only thing stopping one of them from becoming a dynasty is, well, the other. OKC has already […]

Open Thread: SGA wins his second consecutive NBA MVP award

I don’t know if there is a way to write this article on a Spurs site without it coming off automatically as sour grapes, but I am going attempt to do it anyway. First, I will say congratulations to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s an incredible player who has had an incredible year. For those who remember, […]

Game One Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The basketball world has been expecting the San Antonio Spurs to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Both teams took care of business in the first two rounds to face off in one of the most highly anticipated matchups in recent memory. For the first time in the playoffs, the Spurs […]

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder series preview

It was meant to happen. The Spurs and Thunder seemed destined to meet in the Western Conference Finals once San Antonio became a bona fide contender, in part by dominating Oklahoma City in the regular season. The two young teams are set to rule the conference for years, led by their MVP candidates, and will […]

The Spurs have the confidence and the talent to beat the Thunder

The Thunder swept their way to the Conference Finals. The Spurs were dominant but had to fight harder to get there. Who comes into the matchup in better shape?  Marilyn Dubinski: I think both teams have their advantages and disadvantages.  There is no doubt that the Spurs are the more battle-tested team, while the Thunder […]

Is Stephon Castle now an elite shooter?

Over the course of the regular season, it became clear Stephon Castle was not going to suffer a sophomore slump following up his Rookie of the Year season. Castle, at only 21 years old, improved in every nearly counting stat he could. From points (14.7 per game to 16.7), rebounds (3.7 to 5.3), assists (4.1 […]

Open Thread: Anthony Edwards awkward goodbye

On Friday night, the Spurs put on a clinic in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals sending the Minnesota Timberwolves into the summer break. Although the Spurs win was wire to wire, Minnesota made a few pushes throughout the match. However, by the 8-minute mark of the 4th quarter Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch […]

The “young” Spurs are halfway there

To win an NBA championship, a team needs to win 16 playoff games.  The majority of the players on the Spurs entered these playoffs without ever playing in an NBA playoff game, let alone winning one, or 16.  The Spurs coach is also essentially a rookie, with just over one year of being a head […]