Victor Wembanyama dominated in the San Antonio Spurs’ 113-110 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Friday and Nikola Jokic was full of praise for him afterward. In his postgame press conference, Jokic was asked about what kind of growth he had seen from Wembanyama from his rookie season to this one.
“I think he’s better this year than last year, and I think he’s going to get even better,” Jokic said. “Experience, how his body is changing, learning the plays, he has really good veterans in his team right now to help him grow. I think he’s a special player. He’s gonna be one of the kind and is going to be remembered forever.”
Wembanyama was arguably the most hyped NBA prospect ever and has certainly lived up to all that hype. He is having a phenomenal sophomore season after winning Rookie of the Year and was at his best against the Nuggets.
Wembanyama recorded 35 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks to lead the Spurs to victory. The Frenchman gave the reigning MVP some headaches too.
Jokic had 41 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals against the Spurs. He had to work extremely hard for those points, though, as he went 15-36 from the field. We are not used to seeing Jokic be that inefficient and it’s a testament to Wembanyama’s defensive prowess. No one can stop the Serbian but he is certainly capable of bothering him a bit.
After the game, Wembanyama had some high praise for Jokic too, as he picked him to win MVP.
“Multiple-time MVP, soon-to-be MVP again,” Wembanyama said.
Jokic seemed to be running away with the award at the start of the season but is now facing some stiff competition from Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It looks like we’ll be getting a two-horse race for MVP and it should be a fascinating one.
Jokic got another shot at Wembanyama and the Spurs on Saturday at Frost Bank Center as the teams were playing back-to-back. He managed to get some revenge in the rematch, leading the Nuggets to a 122-111 overtime win.
To say Jokic impressed in this one would be an understatement. The 29-year-old had 46 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and two blocks in the contest and shot 19-35 from the field. Jokic missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation but responded by taking over in overtime, scoring nine points in the period.
As for Wembanyama, he played well but not well enough. The 21-year-old had 20 points, 23 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four blocks in the contest as the Spurs dropped to 18-17 on the season. They’ll be in action next against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Monday at 8 PM ET.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, improved to 20-14 on the season with the win here. They’ll take on the Boston Celtics next at Ball Arena on Tuesday at 10 PM ET.
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