Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs hosted Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks tonight, handling business swiftly as they came away with a 119-101 win in San Antonio.
After the final buzzer, Wembanyama went over to meet Antetokounmpo and share a brief conversation with him. Subsequently, the French center spoke to the sideline reporter and addressed his feelings towards Antetokounmpo.
“I mean, with this guy, you’ve just got to load up, create a wall. In my opinion, the toughest guy to guard in the league, so it’s got to be a team effort,” said Wembanyama on how the Spurs managed to hold Antetokounmpo down defensively after the first quarter.
Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo 👀 pic.twitter.com/EsTD261EO8
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 16, 2026
“Of course, I see that he’s got some respect for me, and I personally do for him because he’s one of those players who gets roughed up every night. And to do that for many years takes mental strength,” Wembanyama further added on his conversation with Giannis and how they share mutual respect.
Even at the postgame press conference, Wembanyama gave the Greek superstar his flowers. He said that they needed the whole team to stop Giannis, and it wasn’t a one-person job.
Wembanyama suffered an early injury scare after bumping knees with the Greek star Antetokounmpo less than three minutes into the first quarter.
But he was resilient and returned to the game in the second quarter. He led all scorers for the Spurs and finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 7-12 from the field (58.3%) and 5-6 from beyond the arc (83.3%).
After the game, both Mitch Johnson, Stephon Castle, and Wembanyama himself confirmed that he knew it wasn’t something serious from the moment he went down, but had to return to the locker room.
The Spurs are not too worried about his injury situation, which is a relief considering how many injuries have plagued his season already.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo seemingly gave up early tonight after scoring 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter alone. After that outburst, the Spurs locked him down and blew the game apart, leading by as many as 39 points at one point.
Consequently, Antetokounmpo did not play in the fourth quarter as the Bucks waved the white flag early. He also had five rebounds, two steals, and one block while shooting 7-12 from the floor (58.3%).
Wembanyama has previously also given Antetokounmpo his flowers, saying he belongs in the MVP discussion alongside Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, earlier this season.
The Spurs have improved to 28-13 following this win over the Bucks and will move on to face the Timberwolves at home on Saturday, January 17.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have fallen to 17-24 and are now on a three-game losing streak since they last beat the Lakers. They will face the Hawks in Atlanta on Sunday, January 18, for their next game.
