The 21-year-old French phenom reflects on the Spurs’ 130-110 victory over the Thunder on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center.
And two. As in the semi-final of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas in mid-December, the Spurs defeated Oklahoma City (130-110) on Tuesday at the Frost Bank Center. “It was surely a very good match to follow. We were focused. We are different from most other teams, especially defensively», Underlines Victor Wembanyama, in a post-match press conference, highlighting the self-sacrifice of his team. “It’s easier to be motivated to put in the effort when it’s paying off and you’re winning that kind of game, it’s an inspiration to see other guys putting in that effort, things that don’t show on the stat sheet. The staff and I try to put forward these kinds of efforts“, he swears again.
And to continue: “On and off the court, we all get along very well. We have a lot of fun and it’s easy to be in the flow of this team because the efforts pay off. It’s contagious and we have to make it even more so, enjoy playing this kind of match, make the effort».
That means something, that’s for sure.
Victor Wembanyama
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Thanks to this victory, San Antonio is more than ever second in the Western Conference standings, only ahead of the Thunder, outgoing champion. A victory in the form of a message to the rest of the North American league and to OKC. “It also makes me think that we are much better than at the start of the season. We can still progress. We still need a few wins to catch up with them but that means something, that’s for sure. (…) The goal remains the same, to go to the play-offs without going through the play-in. We don’t skip steps. Now we can aim higher and higher because we tick the boxes. We still need to gain consistency. But we tick the boxes and now we can aim for the top of the Conference”he assures.
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This is all the more promising since “Wemby” only played 23 minutes off the bench Tuesday night, finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds. End of series after 101 matches with at least one against. What will the Spurs look like when he no longer has a playing time limitation? “The schedule is so intense that I don’t plan too much. We are thinking about the next match. The more my minutes increase, the more I want, I’m hungry», he smiles, he who has come off the bench since his return to the game after 12 games of absence (calf).
Remember that Wembanyama, 21, also had the pain of losing his grandmother in recent days, just before San Antonio’s defeat in the NBA Cup final against New York (113-124 defeat): “It’s more difficult being far from France. If it impacts my performance, it’s hard to say… Going back, everything can happen differently. We don’t know what the future holds. It’s special but you always have to play with constraints. These are more important to me, that’s for sure, but we make do with it…».
Tackle on Chet Holmgren
As for the emerging rivalry with OKC, Victor Wembanyama is… not entirely convinced. “I don’t know… It must come naturally. I didn’t say it’s impossible for this to happen in the future. I hope this will be the case soon. But we’re getting closer», he slips. How do you recognize a real rivalry? “The room is full, the energy is different, physicality from the first to the last minute… It’s hard to describe, but it’s like when PSG faces OM in France for example (smile). It’s a real rivalry. It is built over time, it cannot be invented like that. It remains a good opposition», he analyzes. As for his alleged rivalry with the giant (2.16m) of the Thunder Chet Holmbren, however, it is clear and clear: “This is not the case, not sportingly, there is no photo“. The interested party will appreciate…
Oklahoma City and San Antonio will meet on Thursday (8:30 p.m. beIN SPORTS), in Oklahoma this time, for the third duel of the season between the two best teams in the West. “They will be very focused, probably more than ever. It’s a team full of resources, but we will be there», blurts Wembanyama, determined to drive the point home and once again make an impression.
