The reigning champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, finally managed to beat Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs (119-98)! The two teams met for the fourth time this season last night in Oklahoma. Until then, San Antonio had always won, in a surprising reversal of roles while the Thunder is currently the best team in the NBA.
But the Spurs’ good series came to an abrupt end, after a game that Oklahoma City generally controlled, before hitting the nail on the head at the end of the third quarter, giving itself a definitive advantage.
Victor Wembanyama (17 points, 7 rebounds last night) was nevertheless unleashed, seeking to leave his mark on the match and dominate his opposite number, Chet Holmgren. A rivalry was born between the two men, and for Wemby it does not seem trivial. “In terms of basketball, there is no photo,” declared the Frenchman a few weeks ago, when he was questioned about a comparison between the two.
Wemby seeks contact on Holmgren
From the start of the meeting, Victor Wembanyama sought contact. After 30 seconds of play, on his first ball, he went to challenge Holmgren on the shoulder to dunk on him! During the second quarter, he went to block a 3-point attempt from the American, not letting him breathe. Holmgren caught the rebound (10) but was not very effective on the scoreboard (8 points).
The rest of Wembanyama’s meeting was marked by several fears regarding his physique. He first went to the ground holding his knee, hit by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Then he collapsed once again, landing on Ajay Mitchell’s foot. The ankle suddenly twisted but Wemby was able to get back up and finish the game.
The Spurs tried to look good but lacked success at 3 points (35%) and were overwhelmed by the activity and aggressiveness of OKC. For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander struggled (34 points), helped by his lieutenant Jalen Williams (20 points).
The Spurs will continue with the reception of Milwaukee on Thursday in San Antonio (2 a.m. on the night of Thursday to Friday in France).
