Spurs beat Thunder for second time in 10 days, storming to 130-110 victory behind Johnson, Castle

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson had 25 points, Stephon Castle added 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs stormed past Oklahoma City 130-110 on Tuesday night, winning their seventh straight and beating the Thunder for the second time in 10 days.

Victor Wembanyama’s streak of consecutive games with at least one block ended at 101 games, but the Spurs were just happy to have him on the court after he was downgraded to questionable on Monday. Wembanyama finished with 12 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams added 17.

San Antonio has won 14 of 17 to move into second in the West. Oklahoma City has lost three of five games since opening the season 24-1. The defending champions' fourth loss this season was by far their worst, as the previous three were by 2, 2 and 5 points.

The Thunder’s second loss of the season was 111-109 against the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.

The rematch was another tense battle between the top two seeds in the Western Conference.

There were 15 lead changes and 13 ties before San Antonio pulled away late in the third quarter.

Wembanyama and Spurs rookie Dylan Harper led the second-half surge.

Harper was limited to four points but had season-highs with five steals and 10 assists.

Wembanyama came off the bench for the sixth straight game after missing 12 consecutive games with a strained left calf.

He drained a 26-foot 3-pointer over Alex Caruso three minutes into the final quarter to give the Spurs a 98-86 lead. San Antonio extended the lead to 101-88 two minutes later when Wembanyama assisted on Castle’s 3-pointer.

The Spurs and Thunder play again on Thursday in Oklahoma City to close a home-and-home set.

Spurs at Thunder on Thursday. Oklahoma City is 6-14 on Christmas Day and San Antonio is 5-7.

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Oklahoma Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) and Oklahoma Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) scramble for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

Oklahoma Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over the reach of San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

Oklahoma Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) and Oklahoma Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) vie for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

SYDNEY (AP) — A briefing for this year's Sydney to Hobart race began Wednesday with a minute’s silence for the two sailors who died in last year’s event. It ended with hopes that the catastrophic weather conditions will not be repeated in this year's race starting Friday.

The mandatory briefing from the Bureau of Meteorology predicted the scheduled 129 starters in the annual race from Sydney harbor to Hobart on the island state of Tasmania will face strong southerly winds of up to 25 knots (about 46 kilometers per hour, or 28 mph) after leaving Sydney Heads.

Those winds are likely to slacken across the New South Wales state and Tasmanian coasts across the weekend. The fleet has still been warned there is a chance of strong winds on the first night.

“It’s going to be cold, wet and bumpy, people will get seasick,″ said chairman of the race committee Lee Goddard.

But the forecast is much different from last year, when boat-breaking conditions caused two sailors to die on the first night in storms. Nick Smith and Roy Quaden were the two sailors who died in 2024 — the race’s first fatalities since six died in 1998.

CYCA Commodore Sam Haynes said the sailor deaths will not be forgotten.

“This will be something that is very much on our minds, and the families of these two sailors,” said Haynes, who is also the skipper of reigning overall winner on handicap Celestial V70.

Organizers also announced Wednesday that a group of 15 yachts will scatter rose petals off the coast of Bondi Beach in memory of the 15 lives lost during the Bondi terror attack on Dec. 14.

“Going past Bondi, 15 boats will spread some petals into the ocean at the point,” said Haynes.

LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, won line honors in last year's race and returns this year to defend its title. It had an elapsed time of 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds for the 628-nautical mile (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) race.

The race record set by LDV Comanche — 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds — has stood since 2017 and only appears under threat in very strong downwind conditions, which are not expected this year.

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FILE - Yachts jockey for position during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)