The San Antonio Spurs lost by two points in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox combined for only 21 points, but the Spurs were able to stay with it until the very end.
With five seconds left, Dylan Harper grabbed a rebound, pushed the pace, and found a wide-open Julian Champagnie. The sharpshooter had been hot all night, going three for six up until that point, but he missed short, letting the Wolves steal Game 1 on the road.
While Champagnie spent his night thinking about one missed shot, he was one of the more reliable, steady players on the floor. He finished with 17 efficient points and seven rebounds, and single-handedly kept the Spurs in it.
How Champagnie Kept Spurs Afloat
Even with his 12 blocks, Victor Wembanyama's play was largely disappointing, as his offense stalled and the Spurs couldn't get runs going when it mattered. Their saving grace, aside from Harper's 18 points, was solid all-around play from their wings, Champagnie and Devin Vassell.
After a solid game, there's no one that fans would have preferred to take the last shot. He had a good look at the basket, but just missed.
"It felt pretty solid," Champagnie summed up. "That's all I got for it. Felt pretty solid. Missed a shot. On to the next."
While Champagnie missed the game-winning shot, his hustle and grit are what kept the Spurs in the game.
With 1:11 left, the Spurs were down by six points. Wembanyama missed a layup, and Champagnie got the offensive rebound. He dished the ball back out, Wemby missed a jumper, and Champagnie once again grabbed the miss, this time finishing with a layup of his own. Four-point ball game.
"I think it was three, four minutes to go, we weren't sitting there hanging our heads, talking about, 'Oh, we're not going to win this game. We can't get back in this game,' because we did," he reflected. "And then we gave ourselves the best shots with all the mistakes that we made throughout the game. And we just didn't finish. That's all it comes down to."
If Champagnie can keep playing at this level and the Spurs' stars step up, it should be an easy series for San Antonio to get back into. With the role-players playing above their pay grade, it'll be up to the stars to carry a heavier load.