The Spurs And Wembanyama Strike First

There are not enough words to describe what Victor Wembanyama was able to do against the number one-ranked defense. In 49 minutes, he logged 41 points, 24 rebounds, and scored nine of his 41 in the final overtime period. He was the best player on the floor, start to finish.

With how Nikola Jokic flamed out in his postseason, the best player in the world title is up for grabs. Games like that are what get you closer to that claim. Right now, the two candidates are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Wemby. Round one went to the Alien.

Another mind-boggling stat was once again Wembanyama’s defense. When he was on the floor, OKC shot just 16/50 from the field, which is 32%. In the time he was off, that number was 10/16, which is 63%. He once said that defense was 50% of the game, and many people questioned the statement’s credibility, but today, it feels truer than ever.

The coolest part of this performance was the storyline. Wemby watched Gilgeous-Alexander get handed the MVP trophy right before tip-off. He wasn’t shy about wanting the award, as he made his case for MVP in April when asked about it, so he certainly cares.

Caring is one thing, but responding in that moment is another. Wemby’s response is exactly what you would hope as an NBA fan. A 40 points 20 rebound game with a 35-foot game-tying shot to send it into double OT.

The Spurs Have The Upper Hand

The Spurs, after Game One, seem to have the upper hand. Not only because they have home-court advantage, but also because of one specific event. Before the game, De’Aaron Fox was ruled out due to ankle soreness.

The Thunder, on the other hand, got good news. Jalen Williams was making his return from the hamstring injury that he suffered in round one against the Phoenix Suns. Before the game, Oklahoma City came in with an advantage for Game One.

Not only did Williams return, but he looked good. He scored 26 points, which led the starters. In addition to this nice performance, Alex Caruso provided an unexpected jolt off the bench. He scored 31 points and made eight threes at a rate higher than 50% shooting from that range.

Surely the Thunder won that game, right? That is the terrifying part for OKC because the Spurs also clearly missed Fox’s presence offensively. Without him, the ball handling was an issue, and it led to 21 turnovers, and 11 of them were from Stephon Castle.

Despite all that, San Antonio found a way to win on the road.

End Of My Spurs Rant

This Spurs team continues to check boxes as the team advances. The first question was how their inexperience affects them in round one? They ended up beating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, doing so without Wembanyama in a crucial Game 3.

The next question people, such as I, had was about Wembanyama’s endurance. Would he be able to play effective basketball when his minutes are high? He ended up playing 49 minutes and scored nine points in the second overtime to end the game.

The defending champs have a tall task ahead of them.