Opening Night Chaos as Tempers Flare: Wembanyama Stifled, MVP SGA Dominates Spurs /VIDEO/

The Thunder kept Victor Wembanyama well in check. The Frenchman tallied just 12 points and 13 rebounds, knocking down only a single field goal all night before heading straight to the locker room as the final buzzer sounded.

Following a tense opening period, Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox abruptly grabbed Thunder star Chet Holmgren by the hip and wrestled him to the floor while jockeying for position in the paint. Holmgren, a 7-foot-1 center, stands nearly a foot taller than Fox.

That immediately sparked a melee in the key. When the dust settled, Wembanyama and Thunder trio Jalen, Jaylin, and Kenrich Williams were assessed technical fouls for their involvement, while Fox was handed a flagrant foul.

However, the altercation proved to be the catalyst for Oklahoma City. They took control with a rapid 9-0 burst right after the stoppage, stretching it into a devastating 22-3 run to build a commanding 26-point lead. Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 16 points in the first half as the Thunder went into the break up by 21, with 11 different players scoring and the team shooting a blistering 10-of-14 from three-point range.

On the other end, Wembanyama endured a nightmare on offense. Although he tallied three blocks in the opening 24 minutes, he went a dreadful 0-for-7 from the floor.

The Spurs came out firing in the second half, using a 14-3 run to cut the deficit back to single digits. That momentum proved short-lived, however, largely thanks to a standout stretch from Thunder rookie Aday Mara. The towering center rejected Wembanyama at the rim before finishing an alley-oop dunk on the other end moments later.

Wembanyama finally scored his first field goal just before the third-quarter buzzer sounded. He had missed his first 12 attempts of the night, marking the worst shooting start of his career. Still, the throwdown trimmed the margin to 13 and kept the Spurs within striking distance.

Ultimately, the Spurs simply couldn't climb out of their first-half hole. The Thunder comfortably weathered a final fourth-quarter push to seal a 12-point victory.

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 24 points and seven rebounds. Dylan Harper chipped in 18 points, while Fox finished with 14 points and seven boards.

Jared McCain provided a huge lift off the Thunder bench with 20 points, sinking a career-high six three-pointers, while Holmgren finished his night with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Although this was only opening night and the two teams are set to clash plenty more times in the coming months, Oklahoma City made a clear statement following last season's Western Conference Finals defeat. The rivalry is undoubtedly alive and well.