The stunned look on Kevin Durant’s face said it all.
The shorthanded Suns — no Devin Booker or Bradley Beal — had this game in hand, leading by as much as 20 points, then by 13 entering the fourth quarter. But the Spurs never rolled over.
On a night Victor Wembanyama started slowly, he bounced back to score 18 points including a putback dunk with 6.9 seconds remaining that made it a one-point game. Still, all the Suns had to do was inbound the ball, not turn it over, hit their free throws and pick up the win. Then the Spurs’ Keldon Johnson took over, ripping the ball out of Kevin Durant’s hands, driving the lane and scoring the game-winning bucket.
THE SPURS PULL OFF A MIRACLE!
— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2023
Wemby finishes a putback dunk and then Johnson steals the ball and lays it in for the game ‼️
The Spurs finish the game on an 18-7 (33-19 in the 4Q) 😲 pic.twitter.com/E76VdZVBxX
THE PLAY THAT SEALED THE W! pic.twitter.com/pjBQXofTl3
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) November 1, 2023
“It’s a s**** loss,” was how Kevin Durant put it, via Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
For a young Spurs team, it’s a character-building win. Keldon Johnson was the star, scoring 27 points and getting the Spurs going on a night they seemed cold, where this game could have turned into an absolute blowout.
It’s also another night where it felt like it took Wembanyama a while to get the feel of the game, but when he did he made some eye-popping plays.
KD & WEMBY TRADE DUNKS TO END THE HALF 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FtoMizSg31
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 1, 2023
Wemby with the TOUGH and-1 finish 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QQU3NzsPRf
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 1, 2023
It was also a night where Wembanyama learned firsthand that even if you defend Kevin Durant perfectly, it might not matter. KD finished with 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting with seven assists.
KD vs. Wemby to end the 1Q! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/M2FaNU7eoH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 1, 2023
