Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs have a problem with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Or rather, the Thunder have a problem with the Spurs.

The defending NBA champions have gone 26-2 against the rest of the league this season. They look like a team destined to repeat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing like an MVP again. Everything is clicking.

And then there's San Antonio. The Spurs are 2-0 against OKC this year, including a 20-point blowout just on Tuesday. Christmas Day offers a chance for revenge — or another embarrassment.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Spurs have beaten the Thunder twice in one week, including a 20-point win on Tuesday
• The damage: OKC is 26-2 vs. everyone else, 0-2 vs. San Antonio
• Why you should care: Christmas Day matchup features a potential spread trap
• The storyline: Wemby vs. SGA in a battle of the league's brightest stars

The Numbers That Matter

Let me show you something ridiculous:

Thunder's Record by Opponent:

• vs. San Antonio Spurs: 0-2
• vs. Everyone Else: 26-2

That's not a typo. Oklahoma City has been the best team in basketball this season, cruise-controlling through the Western Conference with the kind of dominance that screams "back-to-back champions."

But twice they've faced the Spurs, and twice they've lost. The first game came in the NBA Cup semifinals, when San Antonio snapped OKC's 16-game winning streak. The second came Tuesday night, when the Spurs won by 20 and looked like they were toying with the defending champs.

Wemby's Revenge Tour

Remember last Christmas? Victor Wembanyama had 42 points and 18 rebounds in his Christmas Day debut, and people wondered if the hype was real.

One year later, the Spurs are on a seven-game winning streak, Wemby is even better than the hype suggested, and San Antonio is surging up the Western Conference standings. This isn't a tanking team anymore. This is a playoff threat.

Wembanyama has figured out the Thunder. His length bothers their shooters. His rim protection forces SGA into tough mid-range attempts. His passing creates open looks when OKC sends help.

Two games is a small sample size. But two games where you win by double digits against the best team in basketball? That's a pattern worth respecting.

SGA's Christmas Day Debut

Here's a fun storyline: this is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's first Christmas Day game.

The reigning MVP has been playing in Oklahoma City since 2019, but the Thunder haven't been on the holiday slate since 2018 (when Russell Westbrook was still there). SGA has watched other stars get the Christmas stage while he dominated in relative obscurity.

Not anymore. The Thunder are back on the biggest regular-season stage, and SGA finally gets to show the national audience what everyone in OKC already knows.

The question is whether he can do it against the one team that's figured out how to stop him.

The Betting Angle

OKC opened as favorites and the line has been volatile all week. Here's what sharp money is thinking:

Why you'd bet the Thunder:

• They're 26-2 against non-Spurs teams
• They're at home
• They're pissed after losing twice to the same team in a week
• Revenge games in the NBA are real

Why you'd bet the Spurs:

• They've won seven straight
• They're 2-0 against OKC with dominant performances
• Wembanyama owns this matchup
• The market might be overcorrecting for OKC's reputation

The play: The under feels safe regardless of who wins. Both games between these teams have been defensive battles where neither offense got comfortable.

The Bigger Picture

This matchup matters beyond Christmas Day. If the Spurs go 3-0 against the Thunder, that becomes a playoff talking point. San Antonio is climbing toward home court in the first round. OKC is trying to secure the top seed.

What happens when they meet in April or May? Does OKC's coaching staff have nightmares about Wembanyama's length? Does SGA have a plan for Spurs defenders who shadow his every move?

We won't know until the postseason. But Christmas Day is another data point, another chance for San Antonio to prove they're Oklahoma City's kryptonite.

The Bottom Line

The defending NBA champions have one weakness: a 7'5" French alien and the team that drafted him.

San Antonio has no business being 2-0 against the best team in basketball. They have no business being on a seven-game winning streak. They have no business challenging for playoff positioning in what was supposed to be a development year.

And yet here we are. Christmas Day. Spurs vs. Thunder. A chance to go 3-0 against the champs.

Victor Wembanyama put up 42 and 18 on Christmas last year. What does he do for an encore when he's actually on a good team?

We're about to find out.