Victor Wembanyama shot 6-of-21 in his NBA Finals debut and called his night bad, but isn't worried after the Spurs' 105-95 Game 1 loss to the Knicks.
Victor Wembanyama struggled through his NBA Finals debut, shooting 6-of-21 and watching a double-digit San Antonio lead disappear, but the Spurs superstar center insisted afterward that he is not the least bit worried.
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks on Wednesday night, though it took him 21 shots and he made only 6 of them. The New York Knicks rallied from behind for a 105-95 win at Frost Bank Center and a 1-0 lead in the series.
"I was bad tonight," Wembanyama said. "It's not more complicated than that."
The Spurs scored 55 points in the first half and led by as many as 14. However, their offense stalled after the break and managed just 40 the rest of the way, 21 in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth. New York took advantage of San Antonio's lull to rally back and eventually close it out.
"It was quick," Wembanyama said of the turn. "I think we let that one go."
San Antonio also went cold from deep, making just 11 of 43 from 3-point range (25.6%). They shot 36% from the floor and gave up 23 second-chance points to New York's 14. De'Aaron Fox struggled to find a rhythm, finishing with 7 points on 3-of-13 shooting with 5 assists and 5 turnovers, part of a 13-turnover night that the Knicks exploited for 19 points.
Wembanyama, who turned the ball over six times but went 12-of-13 at the foul line, pointed to an offensive rebound the Knicks pulled off in the final minutes as the moment that ultimately made the difference for New York.
"We let them get an offensive rebound. So that's on us," Wembanyama said. "That's an experienced team, they know how to play with momentum."
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson kept returning to one late stretch, when San Antonio was up a point and then watched it get away.
"Brunson hits a three, they go on an 11-0 run," Johnson said. "The offensive rebounds crushed us. 23 second-chance points."
Stephon Castle backed Wembanyama with 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Julian Champagnie knocked down 5-of-10 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dylan Harper chipped in 16 off the bench, but the Spurs couldn't slow Jalen Brunson, who scored a game-high 30 points even while missing 19 of his 31 shots. Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who dominated the paint, and OG Anunoby had 17.
Johnson said the Spurs need to get Wembanyama moving toward the rim, in transition and on rolls, rather than settling for jumpers.
"We got to get him moving in space and toward the rim, whether that's on rolls or running in transition," Johnson said. "We can't work outside in. We've got to go more inside out, for sure."
Wembanyama said his first Finals appearance felt special but made clear that nerves were not a factor in his performance.
"It definitely felt special, for sure. But nothing close that could be an excuse," Wembanyama said. "It was not a factor in our performance."
The 22-year-old, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year who was named Western Conference finals MVP after the Spurs eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games, said he was not second-guessing himself. He averaged 23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks through the postseason.
"Obviously, we've been down in a series before. Never in the Finals, obviously," Wembanyama said. "But I'm not kicking myself about anything really. I mean, I'm not worried the slightest."
He framed his reset as a matter of routine, or what he called protocol: film, recovery, conversations with teammates and accountability.
"For me it doesn't get more complicated than that," Wembanyama said. "I'm not an overthinker."
To Wembanyama, the fix is less about reinvention than execution.
"It's almost like I have to play normal, not even good," Wembanyama said. "Doing the right things is enough. When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot."
He expects roughly 30 items on the list when the Spurs review film Thursday, and he left little doubt about his outlook entering Game 2 on Friday in San Antonio.
"This is why I'm not worried. We're going to be so much better," Wembanyama said. "I'm going to be so much better."
The one thing that did catch him off guard came when a fan ran up to him during the game, a first in his career.
"I didn't know how to act. It really surprised me," Wembanyama said, "almost as much as that time where a bat crossed the court."
