The San Antonio Spurs dropped their first loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, and Victor Wembanyama didn't recognize the team he matched up against.
The San Antonio Spurs are coming off a 119-98 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. The Spurs still own the season series, up 3-1, and with only one more match-up between these two teams, the Spurs have cemented a winning record against the league's best team.
However, it's hard to argue that San Antonio is truly the better team. In the second half, the Thunder ripped off multiple double-digit runs. Of course, their biggest one was jump-started by Victor Wembanyama going down with an injury.
He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bumped knees as the MVP drove to the hoop. It was incidental contact, nothing suspicious about it, although OKC's physicality started to take a toll.
Wemby Calls Out OKC For Dirty Play
With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Wembanyama hit the deck...again.
SGA bumped into his knee. It clearly wasn't malicious. However, it was just one incident in a long line of questionable play.
Gilgeous-Alexander, in the second half, trapped Wembanyama's legs between his shins while the MVP was on the floor. It was clearly a dirty play. Add in some swats and a bateering by Ajay Mitchell, and it's no wonder Wembanyama was fed up.
"It was a little bit much tonight," said Wembanyama after the game. "Sometimes not really like, not just a huge screen or, you know, like, or a hard foul, but different things went on."
The Thunder are the best team in the league, and with that comes a friendly whistle. Many times Luke Kornet, Stephon Castle, or Keldon Johnson found themselves tangled up under the basket, begging the officials to open their eyes. It hardly ever worked.
At times this season, Mitch Johnson has come under fire by fans for being too passive and not quick to defend his players. On top of that, enforcer Jeremy Sochan sat on the bench until garbage time. The Spurs had plenty of chances to answer or send a message, and it honestly would have been well-deserved.
Thanks to OKC's defense, the Spurs never really stood a chance, although it's hard to say the Thunder won the right way.