OKLAHOMA CITY — De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 29 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 on Christmas Day for their third win over the defending NBA champs in two weeks.

The Spurs also defeated the Thunder in an NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 and in San Antonio on Tuesday.

The teams will meet again Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City and Feb. 4 in San Antonio.

Victor Wembanyama posted 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs (23-7) in Thursday’s matchup, and Stephon Castle added 19 points and seven assists. San Antonio shot 53.6% from the field and held the Thunder (26-5) to 38.9% shooting.

It was San Antonio’s eighth straight win and Oklahoma City’s second home loss of the season. The Thunder entered the day at the top of the Western Conference standings, with the Spurs in second.

The Thunder are 0-3 against the Spurs and 26-2 versus everyone else; it’s the first time that a team has had three of its first five losses in a season come against a single opponent since 1966-67, according to ESPN Research.

“This is like a playoff series,” Wembanyama said of facing the Thunder three times in a short span. “We learned a lot on the tactical side [but] I don’t want to say too much about it. Keep something for us.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, but the reigning league MVP made just 7 of 19 field goals. He scored at least 20 points for the 102nd consecutive game.

Isaiah Hartenstein registered 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, and Chet Holmgren added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Oklahoma City started the season 24-1, tied for the league’s best record ever through 25 games. The Thunder are 2-4 since, including the three losses to the Spurs. It’s the first time the Thunder have dropped consecutive games by at least 15 points since 2021-22, when they won just 24 games.

“We have to get better as group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you. We have to get better … if we want to reach our ultimate goal.”

The Thunder made their first seven field goals and went up 18-12 before Fox helped the Spurs fight back. His 21 points in the first half propelled San Antonio into the break with a 69-60 lead.

The Spurs pushed their advantage to 85-68 midway through the third quarter, and a dunk by Dylan Harper late in the quarter put the Spurs up 91-74. The Spurs were ahead 95-79 at the end of the third and maintained control from there.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• England skipper opts to bowl first on MCG’s green track.
• Pacer Josh Tongue dismisses five Australian batters.
• Australia’s Michael Neser emerges as top-scorer with 35 runs.

MELBOURNE: A rampant England tore through the Australian batting to dismiss the hosts for just 152 on day one of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday in a huge confidence boost for the tourists.

Skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in Australia under overcast skies at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald fell for 12 and 10 respectively while Marnus Labuschagne made six as Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue found plenty of movement.

Steve Smith looked to have weathered the storm, but he was cleaned up on nine by Tongue, who knocked back his middle stump to leave England’s “Barmy Army” of fans in full voice.

It didn’t get much better after lunch with Usman Khawaja (29), Alex Carey (20) and Cameron Green (17) among those departing.

Michael Neser top-scored with 35 while Tongue took 5-45.

Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide, with England desperate to restore pride in Melbourne.

Castigated over their limited Ashes preparations, the tourists lost the famous urn in just 11 days of play with a scandal involving alleged excessive drinking by players during a mid-series beach break piling on the pressure.

Missing injured pace spearhead Jofra Archer, they reinstated Atkinson after he was axed for Adelaide and he opened the attack.

An aggressive Head drove consecutive boundaries off a wayward Brydon Carse, but he only lasted 22 balls, chopping on from Atkinson in the next over.

Opening partner Weatherald fared little better, tickling down the leg side to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in Tongue’s first over, with the Nottinghamshire quick then enticing an edge from Labuschagne that was well taken by Joe Root at slip.

Smith and Khawaja began to stabilise the innings before Tongue struck again to remove the Australia captain and leave England in control.

With the sun breaking through on their return from lunch, Khawaja hit a glorious counter-attacking drive to the boundary off Atkinson.

But his luck ran out next ball, getting the faintest of edges to Smith.

The umpire initially gave it not out, but it was overturned on review before Adelaide century-maker Carey flicked a Stokes ball to Zak Crawley at leg gully

Green, who has had a lean series so far, crunched back-to-back fours off Tongue as he settled in.

Not to be outdone, Michael Neser, in his fourth Test but first red-ball affair, went one better, cracking three in succession off the same bowler.

But disaster struck again, with Green run out for 17 going for a risky single then Starc hoisted Brydon Carse to a back-peddling Stokes at mid-off before Tongue removed Neser and Scott Boland.