Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are down 0-2 after losing the opening two games of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center and now face a historic challenge, with no team having ever won the championship after starting the Finals that way at home.
Wembanyama endured a disappointing first half in Friday night's Game 2 loss, recording just seven points and five rebounds with two turnovers while making only two of his four shot attempts. Although he bounced back with 22 second-half points and nearly carried San Antonio to victory, the 22-year-old fell short in the game's defining moments.
With the score tied at 104 and just over 13 seconds remaining, Wembanyama prematurely passed the ball to Stephon Castle, but he wasn't looking, resulting in a turnover. Moments later, Jalen Brunson converted one of two free throws to give the Knicks the lead. Wembanyama then had a chance to win the game on the final possession, but his jumper missed the mark.
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While the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was blunt in his postgame assessment and took full accountability for the loss, he suggested the Spurs may still be struggling to come down from the emotional high of their first Western Conference Finals victory since 2014.
"We need to never get too high, never get too low. Personally, I could've been better at recovering from the high of the conference finals," Wembanyama admitted.
Some may view the comment as an excuse, but the Spurs entered the Finals with significantly less rest than the Knicks.
New York swept both the Philadelphia Sixers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, while San Antonio needed six games to advance through the conference semifinals and then went the distance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals series.
However, Wembanyama made it clear that he is focused on moving forward.
"We needed to win that game; this game was ours. But at this point, it’s done," he said, before adding, "Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and fuel us into the next game? Absolutely.”
Wembanyama finished with a game-high 29 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and four blocks, while De'Aaron Fox added 20 points. The Knicks were led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each contributed 20 points.
The NBA Finals now shift to Madison Square Garden, where Game 3 is scheduled for Monday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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