Victor Wembanyama sets the highest price on winning. He’ll let his tears run out at times, or swat a shot from miles away. In Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs phenom chose to channel Stephen Curry. His team was losing grip on the contest after a fierce dunk by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extended the lead to three for OKC. That’s when Wemby asked for the ball and, without even looking where he was, pulled a dagger to force a second overtime.
“Oh my goodness,” Reggie Miller said on the broadcast. Wembanyama, one of the MVP finalists beaten out by SGA, was standing near half court when he made the game-tying three. Just before his shot, the Spurs had fumbled a four-point lead, and time wasn’t on their side. San Antonio had 30 seconds remaining and a three-point gap to cover. Wemby took a few long strides inside four seconds and launched a heave. The net rattled as loudly as when Stephen Curry hit the running game-winner on OKC in 2016.
“We’re talking about body blow after body blow with these teams. Victor Wembanyama, are you kidding me?” Miller continued to say in disbelief.
Even Lakers legend, Magic Johnson, saw Curry’s silhouette when Wembanyama rose for a shot from 27 feet. ” Wembanyama’s performance was so special because he did it from everywhere on the basketball court, including a Steph Curry like 3 pointer down the stretch. Ladies and Gentleman this is only Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals! ” he wrote on X.
In that instance, momentum switched sides again. The Spurs led by 10 points on multiple occasions. The Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks to Alex Caruso’s imperious shooting, managed to force overtime. They carried that momentum to lead a surge that should have won them the game. But a determined 22-year-old stood in their way. He didn’t just rescue the game for the Spurs, but Victor Wembanyama refused to lose Game 1 against the Thunder.
The Spurs talisman reached historic heights in his conference finals debut. Wemby scored 41 points, to go with 24 rebounds and three rejections. It was the first time since Wilt Chamberlain that the NBA experienced such an explosive conference finals debut. Wembanyama also became the only Spurs player aside from David Robinson to have a 40-20 game in the playoffs. But the crazy part wasn’t the video game numbers he put up against the defending champions.
The unanimous DPOY scored 12 of the last 17 points for the Spurs, guiding them to a sensational win on the road. Wemby scored 9 of the 14 in the second overtime, using his size to finish dunks and silence the roaring Thunder fanbase. They experienced their first playoff loss of the season. But Wembanyama won’t rest until he makes it four.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ scary depth
The box score will highlight Victor Wembanyama’s otherworldly performance. He was assertive, laughing in the MVP’s face as the Spurs stole Game 1 on the road. The win came without a key contributor. De’Aaron Fox, a reliable closer, was on the sidelines, ecstatic when watching Wemby and the Spurs conquer the Thunder to open the series. This wasn’t a Wemby legacy game, but a showing of the Spurs’ diverse, multi-faceted roster.
Every single starter scored in double-digits. In Fox’s absence, the second pick of the draft, Dylan Harper, continued his exploits. He added 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 steals. Harper recorded the highest net differential behind Victor Wembanyama. Castle had 11 turnovers, but when it came down to executing in the clutch, he kept his eyes fixated on delivering perfect passes to his 7’4″ teammate.
And as a team, they hounded the Thunder. Anybody not named Jalen Williams from the starters didn’t shoot over 40% from the field. The Spurs secured 20 more rebounds on the night. Victor Wembanyama alone scored 10 second-chance points, two more than OKC managed as a team. The Spurs cornerstone had every reason in the book to celebrate his performance. But instead, the young ace focused on what mattered: a night of successful execution from the Spurs.
“Everybody had to step up. Everybody answered the call. We had to cover up for our guy Fox. Hopefully, he’ll be available next game. This was expected, we’re just built like this,” Wembanyama said about the Spurs.
The San Antonio Spurs might be young and devoid of playoff experience, but they make up for it by fearlessly indulging themselves in the big moments. This team understands what it means to compete. You don’t need experience to have that quality, just a transformational ace and an equally stunning core.
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The post “Are You Kidding Me?”: Gutsy Victor Wembanyama Leaves Reggie Miller & Thunder in Disbelief With Stephen Curry-Like Dagger appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
