With his big frame sitting painfully on the bench, Victor Wembanyama watched in disbelief as his team resumed the second half without him. Totally silent during the first half, 0 points and a few offensive misses, the Frenchman had never been placed on the bench by his coach Gregg Popovich, apart from injuries or the usual rotations. Is it a desire to prick one's ego or a desire on the part of the staff to change habits? The decision, for whatever reason, worked: the San Antonio Spurs, trailing by 35 points at the intermission, gradually came back and Victor Wembanyama made a big contribution.
LET'S GO đź—Ł https://t.co/IjxRjSkeMA pic.twitter.com/D4yp8D0pGl
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 15, 2024
In one half, the second, the No. 1 pick in the last draft scored 26 points, finishing as his team's leading scorer. The Frenchman also had 13 rebounds and 5 blocks, some of them very spectacular, especially against Tre Young, blocking with one hand a shot he had tried to intercept with the other, midway through the last quarter. Always a great deterrent when defending his basket, "Wemby" also shone offensively.
Even Spike Lee appreciates it
Early in the fourth quarter, he started with a three-pointer, then took matters into his own hands by dribbling through the defense before slamming down a dunk. Director Spike Lee, who was standing at the edge of the pitch, stood up and applauded. At the end of the game, his team looked for him, and found him, near the basket. He converted two alley-oops, as the Spurs came within 6 points of the Hawks. Twice, the Texans had a ball to get back within 3 or 4 points! It looked like a miracle, but Popovich's men were finally caught up in their shortcomings and the gap conceded in the first half proved too difficult to overcome.
San Antonio suffered its 32nd loss of the season in 39 games. Finishing last in the Western Conference, they began a multi-day road trip on the East Coast that would take them successively to Boston, Charlotte, Washington and Philadelphia. A journey during which Victor Wembanyama could finally see his minute limitations completely lifted by the Spurs staff. The opportunity to enjoy, in particular, the reunion of "Wemby" against his friend Bilal Coulibaly (Washington) and his partner in the France team Nicolas Batum (Philadelphia).