Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence and powered the San Antonio Spurs to a 111-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. Wembanyama was asked postgame about how much fun it was to be back in the mix again after missing time with a left calf strain, and he threw some shade at the Thunder while hyping up the Spurs.
“I mean, you can’t imagine,” Wembanyama said. “It’s just incredible, ’cause I’ve seen these guys for the last 12 games, just get better, do some beautiful things. And I just wanted to be a part of it. I’m glad that we can still do it when I’m here. I’m happy about that, of course. But I’m just glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful. Pure and ethical basketball.”
The Thunder, of course, have been accused of playing unethical basketball. Most notably, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been labeled a foul-baiter. There is also a belief that the likes of Lu Dort and Alex Caruso are allowed to play the kind of physical defense that you cannot play against someone like Gilgeous-Alexander.
It was the Thunder, though, who felt a bit aggrieved by the officiating in this game. Caruso was in disbelief after being called for a foul on Devin Vassell with the Spurs leading 109-108 with just over three seconds remaining. The Thunder had no timeouts, however, which meant the call couldn’t be challenged.
Caruso might have also gotten fouled when he attempted to tip in Jalen Williams‘ intentionally missed free throw at the buzzer. The referees held their whistles, though, and the Thunder saw their 16-game win streak come to an end. They were looking to get to the final for the second straight year, but have instead dropped to 24-2.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with 29 points (12-23 FG), four rebounds, five assists, and one block. The reigning MVP averages 9.7 free throw attempts per game this season, which ranks fourth in the NBA, but was only 4-4 from the line against the Spurs.
Wembanyama, in fact, went to the line more than Gilgeous-Alexander, as he finished the night 9-12 from the charity stripe. To be fair to the Frenchman, though, four of those were down to the Thunder intentionally fouling at the end of the game.
Wembanyama had 15 points in total in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 22 points (6-11 FG), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks off the bench. He only played 21 minutes due to a minutes restriction, and the Spurs, who have now improved to 18-7, outscored the Thunder by 21 points when he was on the court.
This game was just yet another example of how impactful Wembanyama is. The 21-year-old is by far the best defender in the NBA and continues to improve on the offensive end.
Wembanyama also continues to show that he might have a bit of a dislike for the Thunder. He took a shot at Chet Holmgren before the game, and we could potentially see an epic rivalry form between these teams. They’ll be facing off against each other on Dec. 23 and 25, and those games will be must-watch television.
The Spurs, though, will only be focusing on the cup final for now. They take on the New York Knicks at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday at 8:30 PM ET.
