OKLAHOMA CITY — Winning the opening tip, the San Antonio Spurs wanted to throw the first punch.

Jeremy Sochan attempted to throw an alley-oop to Victor Wembanyama. The potential assist would've quieted a ruckus OKC crowd on par with a playoff game.

Instead, Chet Holmgren shattered their ambitions when he broke up the lob. Sochan scrambled for the board and attempted the second-chance layup but was denied by the seven-footer again.

The exhilarating clash between Holmgren and Wembanyama in the opening seconds turned out to be the highlight of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 105-93 win over the Spurs.

After a slow start, the Thunder exited the first quarter with a 26-19 lead. A 33-point second frame pushed that advantage to 59-44 at halftime. The Spurs made it interesting in the second half, cutting it to as little as a single-digit deficit. But OKC always answered back.

The Thunder held an 82-70 lead after the third quarter over the Spurs. The final frame saw little drama as OKC cruised to a perfect 4-0 start to its season — with all four wins by double-digit points.

The Thunder shot 46% from the field and went 17-of-41 (41.5%) from 3. They had 28 assists on 41 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Holmgren had 19 points and five rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points on 20 shots. Jalen Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Lu Dort continues his hot streak with 20 points.

Meanwhile, the Spurs were the latest victim of OKC's stifling defense. They shot 41% from the field and went 12-of-36 (33.3%) from 3. They had 22 assists on 35 baskets. Four Spurs players scored double-digit points. San Antonio had 22 turnovers with 18 being OKC steals.

Wembanyama had a career-low six points and eight rebounds. Chris Paul tallied 14 points and nine assists. Sochan finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Harrison Barnes scored 18 points.

Everybody had their eyes set on Holmgren and Wembanyama. While the two provided some sparks early, this contest quickly turned into a reminder of the sea gap of talent between the Thunder and Spurs.

The two seven-footers will always be linked together — they share too many similarities not to. But until the Spurs add serious lottery talent, future matchups between the Thunder and Spurs will more often than not look like this.

Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Chet Holmgren: B

Of all the Holmgren-Wembanyama matchups since last season, this was the most lopsided yet.

Holmgren set the tone early with his lob breakup and rejection. He anchored an OKC defense that served Wembanyama his worst career performance. With several high-end defenders at his side, the 22-year-old could enjoy other matchups he'd dominate and not solely focus on his fellow generational seven-foot counterpart.

Holmgren finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. He shot a perfect 3-of-3 from 3.

The early returns this season show that Holmgren has leaped into near All-Star status. He's been arguably the best player on the most dominant team since the season started last week.

Despite all the flare involved with a game against Wembanyama, Holmgren has always practiced what the Thunder have preached about their matchups. He's stayed focused on it being a game against the Spurs — not an individual one-on-one battle for pride and bragging rights.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: C-minus

The cold start from outside for Gilgeous-Alexander dipped below zero.

The 26-year-old has started the season reintroducing his outside shot. It's been a point of emphasis. The drive-heavy scorer hopes to expand his range after abandoning the 3-pointer for the last two seasons. It's been a rough start, to say the least.

The sample size is small, but perhaps it's time to regroup and return to the playstyle that'd led him to his superstar rise. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting, five assists and four rebounds. He shot 2-of-10 from 3.

It hasn't dampened the Thunder's record yet, but they must need Gilgeous-Alexander to return to his previous 30-point form. It's the only way they will truly have success in the playoffs. The good news is the season is still in its infancy stage and his outside shot should eventually come back around.

Lu Dort: A

It's been a hot two games from outside for Dort. It's clear the 25-year-old prefers his home baskets to on the road.

Dort finished with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and two blocks. He shot 6-of-8 from 3. On the other end, he helped direct traffic of another shutout performance by the Thunder's defense.

The outside shot will come and go for Dort in waves. As of now, he's on a heater. It's a bonus for the Thunder when he can do that. His 3-point baskets served as heartbreakers at several points of the contest. It fed into OKC's crowd and made a 10-point lead feel 25-plus.

Ajay Mitchell: A

At this rate, Mitchell will force the Thunder's hand to convert him into a standard deal before the G League season even starts in two weeks. That's how poise the two-way rookie has looked in the first handful of games.

Mitchell finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, four rebounds and two steals. He's been a steady hand for OKC since the season started. Daigneault admitted the 22-year-old has quickly earned his trust.

It's easy to do that when he shows out on the defensive end. On the few possessions he was matched up against Wembanyama, Mitchell made it difficult for him to receive the basketball despite the serious size difference.

It's been smooth sailing for Mitchell to start his season. It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next weeks as other teams gain tape on him. But there's no doubt he's looked the part of a veteran backup guard.

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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder, Chet collect 105-93 win over Spurs, Wemby