Thunder Beat Spurs 116-104 on NBA Opening Night
Listen to the story
The Oklahoma City Thunder won a basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs. The final score was 116-104. The game was on October 20, 2026. It was the first game of the new NBA season.
The star player was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. People call him SGA. He scored 32 points. He also had 5 rebounds and 4 assists. He got 2 steals and 2 blocks too. This is called a good stat line.
Last season, these two teams played in the Western Conference Finals. This new game was a rematch. Fans wanted to see both teams again.
Both teams showed their final lineup before the game started. The Thunder played well as a team. They won the game by 12 points. This was a big night for NBA fans.
Vocabulary14 words
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- a basketball team in the USA
- San Antonio Spurs
- a basketball team in the USA
- final score
- the score at the end of a game
- NBA
- the biggest basketball league in the USA
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- the name of a basketball player
- SGA
- a short name for a player
- rebounds
- when a player catches the ball after a missed shot
- assists
- passes that help a teammate score
- steals
- when a player takes the ball from the other team
- blocks
- when a player stops another player's shot
- stat line
- a list of numbers showing how a player played
- Western Conference Finals
- an important series of games before the championship
- rematch
- a new game between two teams who played before
- final lineup
- the list of players who will play in a game
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. 116-104 2. 32 3. Thunder and Spurs
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won a basketball game against the San Antonio _____. The final score was _____-104. The game was on October 20, 2026. It was the first game of the new _____ season.
The star player was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. People call him _____. He scored _____ points. He also had 5 rebounds and 4 _____. He got 2 steals and 2 blocks too.
Last season, these two teams played in the Western Conference _____. This new game was a _____. Fans wanted to see both teams again.
Both teams showed their final _____ before the game started. The Thunder played well as a team. They won the game by _____ points.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
