Credit: ESPN
Darren & Vic's Takes: NBA Week 8 Preview
Published: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
by Darren Worrell & Victor Lisboa
Another week of basketball is done, which means the NBA is in week 8 of play. Darren and Victor are back to preview the games that we think will be the biggest matchups this week.
Darren: San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will face off at the T- Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Prime Video at 9:00 P.M. EST on Saturday night
First, for the Spurs they enter this game after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday evening, 132-119. In that game, Stephon Castle delivered a standout performance with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Looking at the Oklahoma City Thunder, they entered this game after defeating the Phoenix Suns, 138-89. A 49-point margin of victory is incredible and shows how dominant the Thunder were from start to finish. They were led by the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander who finished with a near triple double:28 points, 8 assists and 2 steals.
The Spurs currently hold a 17-7 record, which is good enough for fifth in the Western Conference. On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently first in the Western Conference and hold a 24-1 record up to this point.
For both teams, a lot is at stake, including the chance to compete for an NBA Cup and most importantly, half a million dollars as well.
With Victor Wembanyama out with a left calf strain, some other people had to step up in his absence. De'Aaron Fox, who missed the start of the season with an injury, has not missed a beat since returning, leading the team in scoring and averaging 24.0 points and 6.3 assists per game.
Behind him is Stephon Castle, who had a big game in the last matchup; he is averaging 18.2 points per game, 6.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He has been one of the most consistent players on this Spurs roster.
In addition to him six other players are scoring double figures this year. On any given night, anyone can step up, making them one of the best young teams in the league.
They have had quite the season, and this is largely thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 32.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. Behind him is Chet Holmgren, who has been holding his own in the paint, averaging 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
The others have been great as well; five additional players are averaging double figures, including Jalen Williams, who has only played six games this season and is averaging 17.3 points per game since returning. Even without him, the Thunder have been having quite the season.
This is going to be a great game. All odds are on the Thunder, but do not be surprised if the Spurs do the unthinkable either; they are good enough to pull it off.
Victor: New York Knicks vs Orlando Magic
The 17-7 New York Knicks currently hold the 2nd seed in the east, just 2.5 games behind the 1st place Detroit Pistons. They finished 3-1, at the top of group C. On Tuesday, the Knicks routed the Toronto Raptors in a 16-point win in the NBA cup quarterfinals.
Jalen Brunson had another spectacular night, knotting 35 points on (13-19) shooting from the field and (6-9) from three. Josh Hart was behind him among New York’s scoring leaders with 21 points.
Knicks finished the game shooting an impressive 46% on threes in the game, way above their team average (37.8%). That game on Tuesday was at Scotiabank arena in Toronto, and this game on Saturday will be at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. New York is 4-6 on the road thus far, playing an Orlando team who is 10-4 at home.
Coincidentally, these two teams were both in the cup quarterfinal, and their previous game prior to that was against each other this past Sunday. The Knicks did get the better of the Magic, winning 106-100. It was Paolo Banchero’s 2nd game back from a 10-game absence due to a groin injury he ironically sustained when these teams matched for the first time, back in November.
In that same game, Jalen Brunson sustained an ankle injury late in game, where he went on to miss nearly two weeks of action. It appears that these two teams have had some type of curse because a big injury has appeared to riddle these teams in each matchup.
During their last matchup this past Sunday, Franz Wagner suffered a high ankle strain on his left foot. Wagner is expected to miss 2-4 weeks of action and clearly won’t be available for this game.
In his absence, we should expect to see Banchero’s minutes increase as he’s now a couple of games back from injury with his co-star missing. Expect Desmond Bane to step-up and carry a big chunk of work.
Bane started the season unlike himself, with inefficient shooting and defending. However, that seemed to be the jitters of getting acclimated with his new team, who acquired him via trade in the offseason. In his last 15 games, he’s stepped up during Banchero’s absence, averaging 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, while improving his 3-pt shooting to 35%.
Third year guard out of Arkansas Anthony Black, was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft for the Orlando Magic. He’s really stepped up at just the right time for this team having his highest scoring season yet, (13ppg). In his ten games he has improved to 15 points per game, adding 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals a game.
He’s a 6’7” guard with a long wingspan built for defense, with an interesting, and improving offensive bag. The Magic currently lead the season series 2-1 with the Knicks winning the previous one. Assuming there isn’t another injury curse in this game, it should be another enticing matchup with two top East teams. Tune in on Saturday 5:30 P.M.
Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu, victor.lisboa@student.shu.eduPosted in: sports,