Thunder vs. Spurs: Game 1 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs scored 43 points in the first quarter and never looked back as they trounced the Oklahoma City Thunder, 124-92, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.

The 32-point win marked the eighth time in franchise history that the Spurs have defeated a postseason opponent by at least 30 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge, who didn't top 17 points in a single game during the Spurs' first-round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, toyed with the Thunder to the tune of 38 points on 18-of-23 shooting.

The effort represented the third-highest-scoring game of Aldridge's postseason career. He also tied a playoff career high with 18 made field goals as he continued to flash vintage form when the Spurs ran their offense through him on the low blocks, per Synergy Sports Tech:

Kawhi Leonard was similarly brilliant. In just 22 minutes, the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year totaled 25 points (10-of-13 shooting), five rebounds and five assists. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Leonard became the first player in postseason history to notch at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in less than 25 minutes of action.

Danny Green also returned to form with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. As a team, the Spurs shot 60.7 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from three. 

The Thunder, however, resided in a less glamorous realm when it came to efficiency. 

Overall, Oklahoma City shot 41.2 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three. Kevin Durant (16 points) and Russell Westbrook (14 points) shot 6-of-15 and 5-of-19 from the floor, respectively. Serge Ibaka turned in a decent performance with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, but he was a sieve on the defensive end.

The story of the game, though, was the Spurs' ability to make the Thunder look like mere mortals throughout the first 12 minutes. Leonard provided San Antonio with a shot in the arm right off the bat: 

Not only did the tone-setting frame see the Spurs knock down 18 of 22 shots from the field, but it also featured the West's No. 2 seed dominating Oklahoma City in every way imaginable, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Whether it was Leonard off the bounce, Aldridge in pick-and-pops, Green spotting up for catch-and-shoot threes or Tim Duncan cleaning up on the interior, the Spurs shredded Oklahoma City's defense. 

By the time the frame came to a close, the Spurs had outscored the Thunder by 23 points, while Aldridge (15 points in the quarter) and Leonard (12 points during that span) ran roughshod over a club that ranked 12th in defensive efficiency during the regular season.

Oklahoma City's pick-and-roll coverage was particularly shoddy, which allowed the Spurs' two superstars to crank out some outrageous production through two quarters, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

Facing a 33-point deficit at halftime, there was nothing the Thunder could do—especially since they repeatedly made elementary mistakes while guarding the three-point line throughout the beatdown:

As Oklahoma City was reminded Saturday night, the Spurs are the one team you can't afford to have mental lapses against.

Beyond the defensive issues—which were glaring—Oklahoma City's stars had little success on offense against a San Antonio defense that allowed a league-best 96.6 points per 100 possessions during the regular season.

Durant and Westbrook appeared disengaged as the Thunder quickly fell behind, but they'll need to set the tone for a team that looked overwhelmed in a hostile environment. 

However, getting both studs going simultaneously will be more challenging than it sounds. Leonard held Westbrook to 1-of-7 shooting, per ESPN Stats & Info, and the Spurs could opt to keep him on the ferocious floor general after Green did an admirable job while defending Durant. 

If there's a silver lining for the Thunder, it's that the blowout loss was merely one game—and it could provide them with a much-needed boost before Game 2 on Monday night.

Postgame Reaction

Once the result was final, Aldridge discussed his big night with TNT's Craig Sager: 

And, as always, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich strayed from lauding his team's performance, as ESPN.com's Royce Young reported: 

However, Duncan didn't shy away from praising Aldridge's monstrous effort, per Project Spurs' Paul Garcia: 

At the postgame podium, Aldridge took time to discuss Leonard's wildly efficient night, as NBA TV on Twitter documented:  

"Our defense is what won the game, not fall-down left-handed shots," Aldridge added, according to the Oklahoman's Erik Horne. 

During his meeting with reporters, Durant wasn't able to exude much optimism, according to the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater: 

"Our guys are competitive, they're gonna respond, come back tomorrow, make corrections [and] improve," Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said, per the team's official Twitter account.  

"That's the whole point of a series, go back and look at the film and see mistakes and get ready for Game 2," Westbrook concluded, according to the Thunder's Twitter account. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.