Two days after his major performance against Brooklyn, Victor Wembanyama returned to the ranks, last night during the defeat against the “neighboring” team of the Dallas Mavericks (107-113). The Frenchman certainly achieved another double-double, but with statistics below his usual (12 points, 11 rebounds). He only converted 3 of his 13 attempts (26%), including none at three points (on 4 tries). However, he inflicted 6 blocks on his opponents.
His difficult evening is symbolized by his end of the match. Two missed three-pointers and a poorly adjusted pass to Tre Jones in the last three minutes (at 101-102) hampered his team’s chances of getting back in front. In the following seconds, Kyrie Irving scored 4 points to knock out the Spurs.
With him, the Spurs have… the best defensive ratio in the NBA
“We were better in terms of rebounds, we shot better than them, we have as many assists, but we have 15 turnovers: that’s the only difference,” analyzes Gregg Popovich, Spurs coach. They want to win a championship, we want to improve. That’s what we did. I am proud of my players. »
Without making the difference offensively and losing 5 of his team’s 15 balls, Victor Wembanyama nevertheless greatly helped his team defensively. The rookie also finished with a positive team record (+5, the Spurs’ lead when he was on the floor). Over the last 15 games, with Wembanyama in play, the Spurs have… the best defensive ratio in the NBA. Without him, the 25th.
“His presence gives us a lot of confidence,” admits point guard Tre Jones. We feel when he is there, we can push a little more in attack. Victor will always perform defensively, whether his attacking shots go in or not. He’s super competitive. He wants to win more than anyone. » Wemby also took several hits during the meeting. In the final seconds, he seemed to land poorly and his ankle could have been hit again. The Spurs suffered their 54th defeat of the season. “This one hurts because we really wanted it,” sighs Devin Vassell.
Opposite, Kyrie Irving flew over the debates (28 points), and Luka Doncic played while walking, literally, which did not prevent him from sending a few magical passes, including one which crossed the entire field for an alley -oop from Derrick Jones Jr, and to accomplish a new triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 16 assists), his 18th of the season and the 8th in the last 10 games.
