Open Thread: A tale of two Wembys
Eighty-two regular season games. One Emirates Cup Final. Five games in round one of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. It took six games to eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves. And last night the Spurs evened the Western Conference Finals at three games apiece.
By my count —and I am a math teacher after all — that is 100 games.
The Spurs are heading back to Oklahoma City in a winner-take-all Game 7. Their 101st game.
Basketball 101.
The biggest factor for the Spurs in wins versus losses comes down to Victor Wembanyama.
In Games 1 and 4, the Spurs won when Wemby scored over 30 points. In the losses in Games 2, 3, and 5, Victor scored 21, 26, and 20 respectively.
Lat night in Game 6, Wembanyama scored 22 points in the first half. He ended the night with 28 points, but he played sparingly in the second half as the Spurs pushed the game out of reach during the 3rd quarter.
By comparison, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in Game 6 and sat out the entire 4th quarter. This is the second loss in a row at the Frost Bank Center where Mark Daigneault has kept his MVP out of the final frame.
The Spurs did a fantastic job in the elimination game of limiting SGA to just three free throws. Over the series, they have frustrated his shooting game, forcing him to score from the line. Reducing his trips to the charity stripe paired with the Spurs defense on him has been paramount in taking the series to a Game 7.
Meanwhile, both teams have suffered injuries.
From the Spurs side, De’Aaron Fox have been pushing through a high ankle sprain, and though he’s not a hundred percent, he is able to steer the ship when needed. Dylan Harper also suffered a right adductor injury. He played through but was not producing. If Game 6 was any indication, Harper is better and ready to battle.
For the Thunder, Jalen Williams (J-Dub) has missed much of the Western Conference Finals with a hamstring injury. Though he came off the bench in Game 6, he scored only 1 point in ten minutes of playing time.
The Thunder have also utilized Alex Caruso as a difference maker. Other than the doule-overtime loss in Game 1, Caruso scored 17, 15, and 22 in the Thunder victories, a key component to their success. But in the losses they endured in San Antonio, Caruso scored 0 and 7 respectively.
While the Spurs have exhibited balance all season — they were close to having eight players averging double figures in the regular season — their wins and losses in this series align with Victor Wembanyama.
So the real question is, which Wemby will hit the hardwood in Oklahoma’s capital Satursday night?
Victor has made his intentions clear. He shares his emotions readily and he does not hide his frustration when he does not perform at his best. But this is win or go home.
He will be the focal point of the Thunder’s defense. He should expect double teams and clogging in the paint, which is an asset when he’s dishing to Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and De’Aaron Fox, provided they are hitting open threes.
The version of him from Games 3 and 5 that looked winded, missed shots, and hung around the three-point line instead of making a play for the paint cannot step onto the court Saturday night.
It is imperative the same confident superstar that came out of the gate hitting threes in Game 6 dominates the reigning champions. For 48 minutes, the Spurs must execute.
For most on the team, this is just another in the series of “firsts” they have experienced this season.
Victor has to impose his will to ensure this is the first of many.
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