Victor

Wembanyama

When asked about dealing with the pressure of being down 0-2, Wembanyama said that “this is what he’s built for.” He talked the talked and then walked the walk. It was exactly the type of performance the Spurs needed out of their superstar after digging themselves a big hole by dropping the first two games at home. They’ve won on the road throughout the postseason, including Game 7 against the defending champions in the series prior to this one. They did it again, and they’ll need to win at least one more in New York in order to win the series. The Spurs could even the series and reclaim homecourt advantage with a win in Game 4 on Thursday.

Wembanyama was excellent in the second half as he scored 22 of his 29 points after halftime. The 22-year-old center came up short in the final minute of regulation, though. After grabbing a rebound and with the game tied, Wembanyama passed the ball to an unsuspecting Stephon Castle. The turnover was corralled by Jalen Brunson, who Wembanyama promptly fouled. Brunson made one of two free throws to give the Knicks the lead and Wembanyama missed a midrange jumper as time expired. Now the Spurs trail 2-0 as the series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday.

Despite pretty good counting stats on both ends of the floor, Wembanyama struggled to find a rhythm and make his usual impact on the offensive end in Game 1. His offensive shortcomings consisted mostly of inefficient shooting both inside and outside the arc, as well as six turnovers in his 38 minutes. Wemby ultimately tried to will his team in the fourth quarter by tallying 11 points in the frame, but the Spurs ultimately couldn’t stop the Knicks’ comeback. San Antonio could benefit from a stronger performance from Wembanyama on Friday.

Thought to be a year away from truly contending, Wembanyama and the Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. While his stat line wasn’t the gaudiest, the 7-foot-4 sensation’s fingerprints were all over Game 7. Wembanyama thoroughly outplayed Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and finished with a complete stat line. Next up for San Antonio are the Knicks, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday night.

Wembanyama said in his postgame interview that the Spurs haven’t done anything yet. He means that the Spurs haven’t won the series yet, but San Antonio played a nearly flawless Game 6 just to stay alive in this series. The Spurs led wire-to-wire and dominated from the outset, winning the first quarter 35-22. Coming out of halftime, they outscored the Thunder 32-13 in the third quarter. Wembanyama’s 28 points were a game-high. He and the Spurs will play in the NBA’s 160th Game 7 on Saturday.

Wemby logged one of his least impactful performances of the postseason on Tuesday. In the loss, he missed all five of his three-point attempts, shot his worst field goal percentage of the playoffs, and finished with under 10 rebounds for the third straight game. Over half of his points came from the charity stripe, further emphasizing his struggles to get things going from the field. The Defensive Player of the Year also had a modest five stocks during his 38 minutes. The Spurs will more than likely need more production from Wemby on Thursday to keep their season alive and force a seventh game.

Facing a potential 3-1 series deficit, Wembanyama and the Spurs came out highly aggressive in Game 4. The 7-foot-4 phenom scored 22 points in the first half, including a half-court shot as time expired to send the Spurs into the break with a 50-38 lead. With San Antonio in firm control for most of the second half, Wembanyama only needed to play 31 minutes, watching most of the fourth quarter either from an exercise bike in the tunnel or on the Spurs’ bench. The series is now a best-of-3, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić were first-team selections on all 100 ballots, while Wembanyama was selected on 99. Unsurprisingly, they were the three finalists for league MVP, with Gilgeous-Alexander winning the award for a second consecutive season. Dončić and Cunningham, who needed waivers from the league to be eligible for postseason honors, round out the first team.

Wembanyama was effective on offense with 26 points on 15 attempts, but didn’t have the same impact on the boards as he did in the first two games of the series. After totaling 41 rebounds in the first two games of the series, Wembanyama had just four rebounds in Game 3. He’ll need to bounce back if the Spurs are going to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series in Game 4 on Sunday.

Wembanyama didn’t reach the heights of his outstanding 41-point, 24-rebound double-double in Game 1, but he still managed to finish Game 2 with a strong line. He made half of his shot attempts and was accurate from deep, but his notably lower field-goal and free-throw attempts kept his scoring total down. Still, Wemby dominated the glass and protected the paint well on Wednesday. He and the Spurs will head home with a chance to take a 2-1 series lead on Friday.