Victor Wembanyama shines late, helps deliver Spurs’ first win،
SAN ANTONIO — As Keldon Johnson threw down a thunderous dunk with one second left to seal the San Antonio Spurs’ first win of the season, Victor Wembanyama leapt into the air as his teammate left the floor.
When the ball crossed the basket, Wembanyama was already facing the other direction, jumping up and down the court while imploring Spurs fans at Frost Bank Center to be even louder than they already were .
It was also Wembanyama’s late effort – he tied the score late in the fourth quarter and gave the Spurs the lead for good in overtime – that helped propel San Antonio to a 126-122 victory over the Houston Rockets.
“I really, really like winning,” Wembanyama said. “It’s what I love most in life, so of course it feels good.”
Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he became the first Spurs player with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in a game since Tim Duncan and the second Spurs player in team history to have a 20-point game. and 10 rebounds in his first game. two career games, joining David Robinson.
Wembanyama shot 7 of 19 from the field and missed all six of his 3-point attempts, but he made 7 of 8 from the line and made it count when it counted down the stretch.
Trailing by two points on their final possession in regulation, the Spurs circulated the ball to Wembanyama, who was stationed against Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. Wembanyama headed toward the baseline, entered the paint and managed to knock a shot over the court. Smith’s outstretched arms.
After Smith missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, Wembanyama got the rebound but was tied up by Rockets guard Dillon Brooks, preventing the Spurs from having a chance to win in regulation.
In overtime, Wembanyama gave the Spurs the lead for good when he nailed a 16-foot fadeaway to the left side over Brooks.
San Antonio pushed the lead to six in the extra period, but cut it to two with 17.3 left on a layup by Jalen Green.
That’s when Spurs forward-turned-point guard Jeremy Sochan hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to four.
Sochan, who began shooting his free throws one-handed at the urging of coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Brett Brown last season, put away shots after Spurs guard Devin Vassell missed two on the previous possession.
Sochan, who shot 45.8 percent on free throws before changing his shot last season and 76.1 percent afterward, was 3 of 6 from the line in the opener and made all four of his attempts Friday night.
“I went to the free throws without thinking about anything, it’s just me, basketball and the basket,” Sochan said. “I believe in myself. I think everyone believes in me, so that feels good.
“Devin missing two free throws is the rarest thing you’ll ever see. … We’re all there for each other and all that. I love those kinds of situations going forward. It’s good.”
After another layup from Green, Johnson’s dunk ended the game.
Through three quarters, the Spurs struggled with their energy, according to Wembanyama. Everything seemed to change when he entered the game in the fourth quarter.
“At one point, they were making shots and having success on every play,” Wembanyama said. “We didn’t put our heads down, but our energy and hype wasn’t persistent enough. I think the turnovers at the end of the fourth quarter brought new energy to the field and managed to get us keep in the game and get to overtime.”
One of the plays that injected energy into the crowd and into the Spurs was Wembanyama’s double block on Smith late in the fourth quarter.
With the Spurs trailing by three, Smith took a pass from Green and took a step and a half below the free throw line to soar for a dunk that would have given the Rockets a five-point lead to 2 :00 from the end.
But Wembanyama met Smith at the rim and knocked away his dunk attempt with his right hand, stumbling backwards out of bounds. Smith collected the rebound and as he tried to go up for a reverse layup, Wembanyama came back inbounds and blocked that attempt with his left hand.
“I said this after the first preseason game or the first scrimmage, but he’s going to make incredible plays at least once a game, and tonight he probably made three or four,” Vassell said.
“But that’s just a testament to him, and as I continue to preach, he makes the game easier for us and we need to make it easier for him.”
