Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo wowed after 1st battle with Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama

SAN ANTONIO – As Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo forced his way to the rim in the final minute of Thursday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, he tried to create space against rookie center Victor Wembanyama and stood up as he has done so often in his career.

But the result was anything but common for Antetokounmpo. The long wingspan of Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick, pushed the ball away and gave the Spurs a chance against the team with the third-best record in the NBA.

San Antonio's final shot, a corner 3-pointer by Tre Jones off a pass from Wembanyama, fell short as Milwaukee held on for a 125-121 victory. But the post-match was mainly that of the battle between two players who are unlike any other.

In their first meeting, Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in 39 minutes, while Wembanyama had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in 26 minutes.

Both players had several strong moments as they battled it out until the very end. In an exciting sequence, Antetokounmpo dunked over several Spurs on one side and Wembanyama responded with a self-alley-oop off the glass on the next possession.

“He’s special,” Antetokounmpo said. “He's going to be a very good player. He plays the right way. He plays to win. I've never seen anything like it.”

Wembanyama said Antetokounmpo was one of the players he watched the most growing up and called him one of the greatest players in the world.

“It’s always extra motivation and I know I’m a competitor,” Wembanyama said. “So I want to go after everyone and be the bad guy on the field. So it was a great match.”

The Spurs, who fell to 5-29 on the season, fell behind by double digits early in the first quarter and appeared headed for another blowout defeat. But San Antonio quickly fought back in a game that featured eight lead changes and five ties in the fourth quarter alone.

But late in the fourth, Antetokounmpo took over.

Antetokounmpo outscored the Spurs by himself 12-8 in clutch time. The 12 clutch time points were the second-most in Antetokounmpo's career as the Bucks improved to 14-5 in clutch games, the most wins in the league.

Milwaukee also got 25 points, 10 assists and no turnovers from Damian Lillard on the second straight night on the road after losing a tough game to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said it was a fun game to watch and a fun game to coach with Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama chasing him.

“Two of the most unique and talented big men,” Griffin said. “I use this [big-man term] vaguely because they are very versatile players. Man, that was fun. I thought Wemby was great. I thought Giannis was phenomenal.”

Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who did not play in the second half, said he enjoyed watching Wembanyama's aggression late in the game.

“To compete, not be afraid of the moment,” Middleton said. “He's not afraid to shoot and make a move, make a pass or just take a chance in a close game, especially late in the game. You can tell he's not afraid of the moment. He loves the challenge and this will be big for him in the future.

Keldon Johnson, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, watched Wembanyama play throughout the year, but called it “amazing” to see how he and Antetokounmpo competed throughout the game .

“I think Vic did an incredible job,” Johnson said. “He made some incredible plays. He showed up tonight like he always does. But it's a good feeling, and it gets the competitive juices flowing when you see those two compete.”

According to Second Spectrum, this is only the second time Antetokounmpo has been blocked on a driving dunk this season. And the person who delivered that dunk was someone who had been watching Antetokounmpo from afar for a long time.

“I try to gain knowledge from as many great players as they do,” Wembanyama said. “Giannis is one of the players I've watched the most. The way he uses his body, he does 100% of what he can do with his body. It's something I admire and I “I always admire him. He's a player I know that well enough.”

Despite the loss, Wembanyama said he could sense a performance against a team competing for a championship this season could move San Antonio forward.

“It’s promising,” Wembanyama said. “That’s the first thing. [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] he told us when he returned to the locker room. We had moments in the game where everything seemed to work. And I could feel the crowd believing in us and going for it. Some of that was satisfying tonight. »