The San Antonio Spurs know that their season ends in April, and that they’ve got plenty of learning to do before breaking back into the Western Conference’s elite, but that hasn’t stopped Victor Wembanyama from trying his best to put on a show for fans whenever he’s on the court.
The 20-year-old phenom and first pick in the 2023 draft did just that in front of his homes fans against the surging New York Knicks as he finished with a whopping 40 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. He was efficient from everywhere too, shooting 13 of 22 overall, 4 of 9 from long range and 10 of 12 from the free throw line.
The Spurs needed every ounce of that effort from Wembanyama as well, which was just enough for them to eke out a 130-126 overtime victory against the Knicks. That’s because Jalen Brunson was on the other end of the court and unwilling to just let his team lose. Brunson put on yet another astounding performance, which Knicks fans are starting to get used to.
New York’s lead guard had 61 points and six assists in a virtuoso performance that saw him shoot 25 of 47 from the field, 5 of 13 from three and 6 of 6 from the charity stripe. That made Brunson the sixth player in the last 31 years to attempt at least 44 field goals in an NBA game, which happened just one day after Dejounte Murray scored 44 on 44 shots for the Atlanta Hawks.
It must be scary for the rest of the NBA that Wembanyama is still just acclimitazing himself to the NBA game. Sure, he played in the pros in Europe before coming over, but the pace and strength of NBA players is incomparable. The fact that Wembanyama is showing that he can hang with the big boys while still working on getting more muscle on his frame and finesse in his game is a great sign that us NBA fans will have a chance to enjoy a once-in-a-generation talent for a long time.
Knicks fans will be understandably upset with the loss, but will also be happy that they have finally have a proper star in Brunson. Julius Randle’s absence has been unfortunate for them, but Brunson has shown that he’s capable of being the lead man for an NBA team.
