Quite a performance for Victor Wembanyama last night, during his team’s trip to Memphis (106-105 defeat). The Frenchman from the San Antonio Spurs only played 21 minutes, but that did not prevent him from scoring 30 points which made his team believe in a victory for a long time.
Wemby gained momentum as the match progressed. He ended the match with a cannonball. In the last six minutes, he made a series of decisive baskets, from mid-distance, from three points, near the basket, above or by feinting his opponents. Totally unstoppable, and especially not from the Grizzlies who displayed a blatant lack of aggressiveness throughout the match.
Very often ultra-dominant defensively, it was this time offensively that Victor Wembanyama lit up the meeting. The rest of his stats sheet is honorable (5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block).
During the last two minutes of the match, he was rested and did not participate in the finale which saw the Grizzlies take the advantage and never let go. The Spurs managed this end of the game quite poorly, in particular by not taking a timeout on a last possession which could have allowed them to get back in front, in the last 15 seconds.
If the Spurs nugget did not play the last two minutes, it is because she was returning from injury, after missing the last two games for a hyperextended knee. “It’s tough for this kid,” said coach Mitch Johnson, not much older than him (39), at the end of the game. “There’s been a lot of yo-yoing lately,” he continued, referring to the Frenchman’s numerous absences due to injury. We try to support him as best we can and he does a phenomenal job. »
It was Wemby who insisted on making the trip with his teammates and who insisted on participating in the meeting. “Congratulations to him because many would not have wanted to play this match,” noted his teammate Julian Champagnie. It is the central piece in our home. Tonight he scored, led, defended, and showed the right attitude. » Victor Wembanyama could start on the bench again, from this Wednesday evening during a trip to Los Angeles to face the Lakers (3:30 a.m. from Wednesday to Thursday in France).
