Victor Wembanyama's offensive struggles in Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks were highlighted. In the first half of Friday's contest, Wembanyama was not aggressive in shooting the basketball and only had seven points on 2-for-4 shooting.
The Spurs star bounced back and had 22 points in the second half to try to win the game. However, that wasn't enough as San Antonio suffered a tough 105-104 defeat. The Knicks now hold a 2-0 lead in the series, as they head back to New York for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
After the loss, De'Aaron Fox was asked by the media about what message they sent Wembanyama during halftime. His performance in both halves were night and day, as be became a more aggressive scorer.
"We came in and we're like, 'We need you to be aggressive.' That is what it is," Fox said. "He came out in the second half and obviously, he was much better for us. That was the reason we were able to get back up to the game.
"We need him to be him. We don't want to come in here and just start doing stuff we haven't done before. Whenever he's aggressive, we're at our best."
Once Wembanyama became more of a threat offensively, the Spurs were able to close the gap and even overcome a 14-point deficit. However, it came down to the wire and he missed the potential game-winner in the final possession.
De'Aaron Fox Addresses the Massive Difference on Defense Against the Knicks
Aside from the passive performance from Wembanyama on offense, protecting the paint has been a struggle. With Karl-Anthony Towns as an outside threat, the Spurs star has been drawn away from the basket in the first two games.
Fox acknowledged the difficulty that San Antonio has encountered in the first two games because of the 3-point shooting that KAT possesses.
"Obviously, having somebody like KAT is a difficult cover. That's what everybody tries to do, is to pull Vic away from the basket," Fox said.
"We have to figure that out because that's not something that we haven't seen before. Obviously, this team and the way that they shoot the ball, they way that they move the ball. We have to figure out a way."
Although KAT has only attempted seven shots from deep in the first two games, he has built a 3-point reputation that demands respect. This has forced the Spurs to stay away from using Wembanyama as a zone defender in the Finals. San Antonio needs to make adjustments on defense for Games 3 and 4 to prevent the Knicks from taking over the series.
