You shouldn't have hoped for much.
Victor Wembanyama's Spurs largely lost to the Denver Nuggets, the reigning champions (106-117).
The difference in talent is too great and if San Antonio sometimes seemed to pick up the score, the Texans never really competed with the team of Nikola Jokic, double-MVP in 2021 and 2022.
In the middle of all this, Victor Wembanyama (17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) did not really shine and sometimes seemed borrowed.
However, he begins with a counter on Jokic and we say to ourselves that the duel between these two pivots who attract all eyes is going to spark.
We are wrong.
The Serbian will quickly extinguish all competition, and the red marks on his broad shoulders testify to the little interest he has in the physical challenge of his opponents.
Protector of the Paint ❌ pic.twitter.com/cVgyxT99TF
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 16, 2024
At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs were already down by 19 points.
Gregg Popovich, the Texan coach, is trying a poker game by bringing in more size thanks to the contribution of Dominick Barlow, associated with Victor Wembanyama for a pair of giants who stand at 2.10 and 2.22 m respectively.
The recipe works for a while, San Antonio comes back to two possessions (less than six points), but the whole thing is too tight, and Denver is enjoying itself, both under the circle and from long distance.
“Against a team that was champion last year, there is too big a gap,” notes Popovich.
They have far too developed qualities, and above all they demonstrate consistency.
On our side, we put in a lot of effort, there's nothing to complain about there, but when Jokic and Murray got their hands on the match, it was over.
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Wemby bites into Jokic’s feints
In the second half, however, San Antonio tried to hang on.
Victor Wembanyama seems a little borrowed.
He twice bites Jokic's shot feints.
He then committed a fourth foul in the middle of the third quarter which sent him to the bench for a while.
The end of the match went without a hitch for the Nuggets, who managed their lead without any fear.
“We lost too many balls (16), remarked the Spurs coach.
When you lose so many balls, you take a gap of 15 or 20 points and you never come back.
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W3MBY 🎯 pic.twitter.com/whdA3Z78qh
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 16, 2024
His versatility, however, allows the French rookie to continue to break records.
He becomes the second player to reach the mark of 200 blocks and 100 three-point baskets in a single season, two categories usually far from compatible.