Phoenix Suns (Dr) / San Antonio Spurs (Dr)
By Mathieu Seguin | Sports editor
The confrontation between Houston and San Antonio offered an expected duel between generations. On one side, Kevin Durant, seasoned veteran and underrated defensive reference. On the other, Victor Wembanyama, already an essential phenomenon despite his young age. And it was the veteran who took the best.
Trailing by 16 points, the Rockets completely changed their face after the break to win 111-106. If the offensive collapse of Spurs was surprising, it is largely explained by the way in which Wembanyama was contained upon returning from the locker room. The Frenchman finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but above all with a very complicated skill, unable to find rhythm in the second half.
Everything started well for San Antonio, with an aggressive and involved Wembanyama on both sides of the field. But as the minutes passed, Houston tightened the grip, multiplying the holds by two and forcing the young interior to move away from the racket. The defensive plan paid off, to the point of limiting it to just two points after halftime.
An assumed and targeted defensive plan
After the meeting, Kevin Durant did not dodge the question of the strategy put in place against the French prodigy. “He’s still working on his shot. We see that he is trying to find marks on his shot. We forced him to take complicated fadeaway shots all evening. He had a few early ones, but overall we forced him to shoot over us.”explained the Rockets star, lucid about the tactical choice.
Durant also emphasized the areas where Wembanyama is most dangerous. “He is most dangerous when he is near the rim, on lay-ups, dunks, or when he plays around the paint. It’s more his game to float outside to take shots.”. By cutting off these priority options, Houston was able to get him out of his comfort zone.
Despite this success, the veteran did not minimize the danger that Wembanyama represents. “His length in the racket is a real problem. When it catches fire, it’s very hard to stop it.”. Houston also took advantage of a few quick mistakes to take him out of his rhythm, a detail that weighed heavily in the final scenario.
Durant concluded by taking a step back from this type of generational duel. “The elders took pride in defending me when I was young. It’s the same today. But I don’t want it to become a personal story every time. The scenario is nice, but the objective remains to win the match ». A statement that perfectly sums up the evening: beyond the symbol, it was the collective execution of the Rockets that made the difference.
