The San Antonio Spurs are running on cruise control with 21 wins under their belt this season and just 7 losses. Now, they are ready to welcome the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder to the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Tuesday, December 22. It is the rematch of the NBA Cup semifinals, where Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama pulled off a magical performance. Will he be able to replicate that on Tuesday?

It is a top-of-the-table battle between the first and second-placed teams in the Western Conference. The OKC Thunder are leading the West with a fine 26-3 record. So, for the Spurs to pull another miracle, they need their best man to suit up tonight. But is he playing?

Is Victor Wembanyama playing tonight against the Thunder?

Victor Wembanyama is listed as ‘questionable’ for Tuesday’s home game against the Thunder. He has been on a minutes restriction and is also coming off the bench in recent games. Ahead of the Thunder game, he was participating in the shootaround, which gives a ray of hope to the fans that the big man could get more minutes or even start.

The Frenchman had sustained an injury to his left calf in November against the Golden State Warriors, but his return has been extremely beneficial for the Spurs as they have won all four games.

Wemby finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Washington Wizards in the last game, while recording 26 points and 12 rebounds in the previous game against the Atlanta Hawks. He joined an exclusive club against the Hawks when he registered his 100th consecutive regular-season game with at least one block.

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Overall, he has been a livewire on the hardwood this season despite his injury concerns. Braving everything, Wemby is averaging 24.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 blocks per game.

Overall, his presence, even from the bench, could be vital for the Spurs in their quest against the in-form OKC Thunder.

Thunder vs Spurs Injury Report for December 23

This matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs is gradually turning into a new rivalry in the West, something that has brewed in the last few games. It gained momentum during the NBA Cup semifinals when the Spurs defeated the Thunder to reach the final. Overall, both teams play exciting basketball and have braved several adversities to be the top two teams in the West.

Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report

There was a lot of chatter around the Thunder and their star player, Chet Holmgren, being out of this clash. But recent injury reports suggest that both Chet and Isaiah Hartenstein, who were listed as day-to-day earlier, have been cleared off the injury list and will feature against the Spurs.

Other than that, Ajay Mitchell is out of contention with concussion protocols, while Nikola Topicc continues to miss out as he is recovering from surgery. Ousmane Dieng (calf), Aaron Wiggins (adductor), Thomas Sorber (ACL), and Jaylin Williams (heel) are also unavailable for this game.

San Antonio Spurs Injury Report

Unlike the Thunder, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has a fairly healthy roster, with the only question of managing Wemby’s injury and getting him back to the starting lineup as soon as possible. Other than the big man, there are no injury absentees for the Spurs for Tuesday’s game.

Predicted starting lineup for Thunder vs Spurs

Based on current injury reports, here’s how both teams could start on Tuesday

This is the first of the two, back-to-back games between the Spurs and the Thunder. There’s a lot of expectation among the two fanbases as two of the best teams in the West and also contenders for the title this season will faceoff.

The last time they met in the NBA Cup semifinals, the Spurs shocked the Thunder with Wembanyama recording 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 21 minutes off the game. He changed the game completely coming off the bench.

So the Thunder need to find a way to stop Wemby and also restrict the Spurs with astute defence. A lot will depend on how the Thunder turn up defensively and how much of an impact Shai Gilgeous-Alexander manages to make for his team.