LAS VEGAS (AP) — Here’s how much the NBA Cup semifinals against Oklahoma City meant to San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama: He grabbed the ball after a missed Thunder shot in the final moments, squeezed it and screamed in delight.
Technically, it was just another game.
It sure didn’t seem that way.
Welcome back, Victor. The Spurs are headed to the NBA Cup championship game against the New York Knicks, after knocking off the defending NBA champion Thunder 111-109 on Saturday night in the tournament semifinals — just the second loss for OKC in 26 games this season.
“This is not a typical regular-season game,” Wembanyama said. “We knew if that if we lose, we’re out. And you know, some people are built for these moments. Some aren’t. But we definitely are.”
The win came in Wembanyama’s return from a 12-game absence caused by a left calf strain. He finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes — coming off the bench for the first time in his NBA career.
There won’t be too many more times when he doesn’t start. Wembanyama wondered aloud after the game if someone can win Sixth Man and MVP in the same season, with a big smile across his face.
He played 7:19 of the first half. In that time, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 20 points — 9-2 in his first stint, 15-2 in his second stint, 24-4 combined. That’s right, a 24-4 margin over a team that had a 24-1 record entering the night, outscored teams by a record average last season and are on pace to smash that record this season.
But those minutes set a new tone and gave the Spurs a chance. Now, they’ll be back in Las Vegas on Tuesday with a chance at winning the NBA Cup. And Thunder coach Mark Daigneault summed up Wembanyama’s impact with one word: “Huge,” he said.
“Credit to him and them,” Daigneault said. “I thought for stretches of the game, they played really well without him, too. I didn’t think it was isolated to him. I thought that was a great team win for them. They won as a team. A lot of their guys played well, but he certainly had an impact on the game.”
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