The San Antonio Spurs have been a very good basketball team from the very first day of the season. Dylan Harper has missed time. DeAaron Fox already dealt with an injury. Stephon Castle just returned to the lineup. Luke Kornet, too.
Most shocking of all though, is that the team went 9-3 with Victor Wembanyama out of the lineup. In his very first game back, which marked his first bench appearance, they gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a ride for their money.
With a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line on the line, Wemby and his teammates all stepped up to deliver. The signature moment of the game was his midrange jumper over Alex Caruso, who has been hounding him all possession.
In total, the Frenchman was a +21 in just over 20 minutes of action. They were -23 when he was on the bench. A two-point victory over the Thunder last night snapped a 16-game winning streak. And it puts them center stage in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Spurs Become Second Team to Defeat Thunder This Year
It’s no secret how unstoppable the Oklahoma City Thunder have been. Victor Wembanyama and his team truly did not care about that. Weathering the runs their opponents made all game and sticking to the gameplan was enough to get them this improbable win.
Wemby has been playing incredible ball when he’s actually been out there. Unfathomable is the word to think of when looking at San Antonio’s 18-7 record. As mentioned above, they have dealt with injuries to all of their guards. Their centers, too. But as stars have slid in and out of the lineup, Mitch Johnson has kept them prepared for just about anything.
At 24-1, OKC has looked unstoppable for most of the year. San Antonio stayed true to their game plan. Attacking the basket throughout the night, and staying active on the glass. Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Wembanyama all went for over 20 points.
The scoring balance was everything, especially with how tight their opponents are known to guard. SGA was “held” to 29 points on 12-23 FG, as they were able to keep him off the FT line. A team chasing the wins record losing on the national level is a big deal for the squad on the other side.
The Spurs now join the Trail Blazers as the only other team to knock off the Thunder.
Spurs, Victor Wembanyama Off to NBA Cup Final
The marquee event in Las Vegas on Tuesday night will feature the Knicks and Spurs at T-Mobile Arena for the NBA Cup Final. A red-hot Jalen Brunson, who dropped 40 in the semifinal win over Orlando, will try and grab his team a championship.
Both teams showed impressive levels of play en route, and the next one promises to be an exciting one. Victor Wembanyama playing as well as he did after missing a month, should inspire all the confidence in the world from his teammates.
San Antonio seems unstoppable when they have all of their guys together. And as the year winds even further, they could be a serious threat in a series to the mighty Thunder.
After their improbable win over 24-1 OKC, the next challenge for Mitch Johnson’s club will be slowing down Brunson. Four games in a row of 30+ points, and New York has won five overall.
Mitchell Robinson vs. Wemby. That’s what the world is ready to see.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Spurs, Victor Wembanyama Pull Off the Improbable appeared first on Heavy Sports.
