Wembanyama Unfazed by Game 1 Loss

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs expressed that he’s “not worried at all” following their home defeat in Game 1 on Wednesday.

In that matchup, Wembanyama managed to score 26 points, with 12 of those from free throws, but it wasn’t enough as the New York Knicks triumphed 105-95, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Reflecting on the loss, Wembanyama said, “We’ve lost series before. Certainly, we didn’t reach the final this time.”

He added, “I truly don’t blame myself for anything. Honestly, I’m not worried in the slightest.”

Despite the Spurs leading by as much as 14 points during the third quarter, Jalen Brunson spearheaded a comeback for the Knicks, finishing with a game-high 30 points.

Wembanyama shot only 28 percent from the field and a mere 22 percent from beyond the arc over the course of the game. When the team needed him, he managed just 11 points in the second half.

Brunson had quite an impressive fourth quarter himself, scoring 13 points during that period.

Wembanyama admitted, “I didn’t feel good tonight. It really doesn’t get any simpler than that… I think we let it slip away.”

Throughout this postseason, Wembanyama has averaged 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.5 blocks.

Interestingly, if a forward scores 30 points, the Spurs tend to maintain an undefeated streak in playoffs. It’s been quite a while since Wembanyama exceeded that threshold in a loss.

He noted, “It’s not like I have to figure anything out. I just need to play like I normally do.” He expressed confidence that the squad would improve. “When we play poorly, and I play poorly, that’s when we really hurt ourselves. I’m not anxious. We’ll do better.”

The player felt the Spurs had the upper hand until the end, believing they had let the win slip from their grasp.

At one point, the Spurs were ahead by a single point with 2 minutes and 16 seconds left in the game, but they eventually succumbed to an 11-0 run.

In those crucial moments, Wembanyama turned over the ball once and missed a vital 3-point attempt in the next possession, allowing the Knicks to capitalize each time.

“It happened quickly,” he reflected. “I think I let that go.”