The San Antonio Spurs have risen to No. 1 in NBA.com's Week 11 power rankings, overtaking the Oklahoma City Thunder—who held the top spot last week despite recent stumbles, including losses to San Antonio. The Spurs' dominant three wins over OKC in the last 16 days propelled the shift, ending the Thunder's reign at the summit that began with a 24-1 start.
NBA.com's Week 11 power rankings reflect major movement at the top. The Spurs (23-8) surged to No. 1 after an eight-game winning streak in key games (snapped by a loss to Utah), highlighted by three victories over the Thunder in 16 days: a neutral-site win, home triumph, and road victory last Tuesday, combining for a 35-point deficit in the final two.
Analyst John Schuhmann praises San Antonio as the only top-five team in both offensive (118.8 rating) and defensive efficiency (112.5 rating). They stifled OKC to 107.0 points per 100 possessions across the series, with Victor Wembanyama dominant—holding Thunder to 88.9 points per 100 in his 70 minutes. The Spurs maintained a low turnover rate while forcing fewer than 14 from OKC per 100 possessions in two wins.
The Thunder (27-5) are 27-2 against everyone else but 0-3 vs. San Antonio. Their elite defense faltered, allowing Spurs 129.3 points per 100 in the last two games, with paint scoring plummeting to 33.3 per 100 (from league avg. 51.3) against Wembanyama.
These losses reveal cracks in OKC's +13.9 net rating lead, while the Spurs emerge as contenders. Upcoming tests: Cleveland, New York, Indiana, Portland.
