Victor Wembanyama reflected on reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time after the San Antonio Spurs eliminated Minnesota.
Victor Wembanyama reflected on reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time after the San Antonio Spurs' Game 6 win on Friday.
The Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 at Target Center to close out the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2. The win sent San Antonio to the conference finals for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Wembanyama said the moment carried weight.
"I said it on the broadcast earlier, just the words 'conference finals' is crazy. It's like something I heard my whole life and now being in it is just special," Wembanyama said.
The conference finals berth is the first of Wembanyama's three-year NBA career. San Antonio finished the regular season 62-20 as the Western Conference's No. 2 seed and reached the round after eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the opening round, which marked Wembanyama's first playoff appearance.
Wembanyama averaged 19.8 points and 12.0 rebounds across the six games against Minnesota. His 27-point, 17-rebound effort in Game 5 made him the third player to post 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a playoff game, joining Magic Johnson and Luka Dončić.
Wembanyama said the Spurs found a formula against the Timberwolves.
"I feel like this team, whenever we've hit first and taken an early lead, we've beat them. And really whenever we beat them, it was almost by like 30 every time," Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama said the win left him both energized and worn down.
"It's great. My mind is excited. My body is tired after this game," Wembanyama said. He added that he hopes the appearance is the first of many: "Hopefully many more conference finals to come next years."
Wembanyama also said the competition will stiffen as the Spurs advance.
"Now the nature of the playoffs makes it that we're going to play against better and better teams, and there was already a leap between the first and second round and it's going to be probably even bigger leap between second and third," Wembanyama said.
San Antonio will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday. The Thunder reached the round as the defending NBA champion. The NBA will announce its Most Valuable Player on Sunday, with Wembanyama among the finalists.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 32 points in Game 6, and De'Aaron Fox added 21. Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
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