The San Antonio Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons in a hard-fought, physical game, and Victor Wembanyama revealed some respect for his Eastern Conference rival.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, securing a 114-103 win.
For Victor Wembanyama, it was a tale of two halves. The Frenchman finished with an eye-popping 21 points, 17 rebounds (eight offensive boards!), six blocks, and four assists. However, in the first half, his impact was limited to seven points, seven boards, and only a single block.
The Pistons brought physicality all night, but Wemby was able to fight through it. Detroit's defense made sure that Wembanyama was unable to get much offense going, but with Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie both boasting a hot hand, Wembanyama was able to dominate on defense and in the paint.
Why Wemby Respects Pistons
After the Spurs' first win of the season over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wembanyama questioned whether or not they play "ethical basketball."
The Pistons are one of the most physical teams in the league, and some might go as far as calling them dirty, but Wembanyama appreciates the way they play.
"I think it's definitely top five games, most physical," said Wemby of Detroit. "But I think for the future, and looking at the season overall, this is probably the team that's most capable of playing that way. They crush the boards. They force bad shots. They try to play a bully ball. And I think this is the reason they're the first seed."
If anyone can appreciate a strong defense effort, it would be Wembanyama. Did he have fun playing them? Nope, and at times he looked like a ragdoll down low, but he and the Spurs were able to shut the Pistons down in the second half, securing a win over the top seed in the East.
"The second half was pretty satisfying defensively," he said. "Tough shooting night, this is what they do. If they don't want you to score, they're not going to let you score."
The Pistons, in Wembanyama's eyes, do things the right way. By leaning into their "Bad Boy" and "Goin' to Work" cultures of the past, Detroit Basketball is back, and the Spurs are their cross-conference rivals. The golden era of the NBA is back!