After appearing to become the next face of the NBA, Victor Wembanyama failed to make a dramatic game-winning shot.
After emulating Tim Duncan as the Big Fundamental, Wembanyama committed a bone-headed turnover.
After excelling with point-guard skills in a center’s body, Wembanyama’s range suddenly disappeared.
Never did a towering big man look so small. The Knicks escaped with a 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, an outcome that once again revealed the Knicks’ resiliency and Wembanyama’s shortcomings.
The box score shows that Wembanyama posted 21 points while shooting 11-for-21 from the field and 2-for-6 from 3-point range along with nine rebounds and four blocks. But Wembanyama hardly rectified his Game 1 performance where he finished with 26 points with inefficient marks overall (6-for-21), from deep (2-for-9) and in turnovers (six). Instead, Wembanyma vastly contributed to the Spurs facing a 0-2 series deficit.
The most important play centers on the final possession, obviously. That’s when legends are born. Instead, Wembanyama showed he still needs room to grow. With the Spurs trailing by one with 2.8 seconds left, Wembanyama caught De’Aaron Fox’s pass on the elbow following a pick-and-roll. Wembanyama pulled up over Knicks center Mitchell Robinson only to fall down after he released the ball. It bricked off the rim. Game over.
Of course, Wembanyama would have become the hero had he made the shot to ensure a 1-1 tie entering Game 3 in New York on Monday. But Wembanyama made other costly crunch-time plays leading into that moment.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson made a backdoor layup to give the Knicks a 102-99 cushion with 1:56 left without Wembanyama nearby to contest the shot. On the next play, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges poked the ball out of Wembanyama’s hands as he tried to collect an entry pass. That pushed Wembanyama out behind the perimeter. He settled for a step-back 3 that airballed.
Wembanyama put on a fundamental clinic by running up the court, receiving Dylan Harper’s fast-break pass and finishing at the rim before drawing a foul on Karl-Anthony Towns. Wembanyama’s 3-point play gave the Spurs a 104-102 with 1:56 remaining and renewed hope.
Those hopes dissipated quickly. On the next play, Brunson made a step-back jumper over Stephon Castle. With the game tied at 104, Wembanyama then clanked a pull-up jumper over Robinson. Wembanyama’s decision made little sense. The Spurs still had 19 seconds left on the shot clock. That would give Wembanyama time to find a better look inside. Perhaps Wembanyama feared burning too much clock could give the Knicks enough time to win on a final possession. But Wembanyama still needed to give himself more time either to drive to the basket, find more balance in his shot or find an open teammate.
Wembanyama rectified that mistake on the next play. He picked up Brunson on the perimeter following a pick-and-roll, while giving him little space to probe. Wembanyama kept up with Brunson’s dribbles as he moved toward the left elbow. Wembanyama then altered Brunson’s pull-up jumper that hit off the rim.
Wembanyama rebounded the ball, only to squander all the equity made in ensuring a defensive stop. Wembanyama threw the ball up to Castle even though he was not looking at him to catch the ball. After it bounced off Castle’s back, Brunson stole the ball before Wembanyama fouled him in frustration.
Brunson then split a pair of foul shots to give the Knicks a 105-104 edge with 7.5 seconds left. Spurs forward Luke Kornet grabbed the rebound off Brunson’s missed second free throw, prompting the Spurs to call timeout and set the stage for Wembanyama to deliver an iconic moment. Instead, Wembanyama delivered a clank.
In fairness, the NBA’s young stars usually experience playoff failure before hoisting a championship trophy. Should the 22-year-old Wembanyama lose in his first Finals, it’s way too early to diminish his legacy. It hasn’t even been written yet. If anything, it will only mark a turning point that led to Wembanyama using that setback as motivation both emotionally and tactically to become a better star.
These developments seem surprising, however, only because of how dominant Wembanyama played throughout his first playoff run. Wembanyama’s stature grew when he completely manhandled Oklahoma City Thunder’s center Chet Holmgren in the Western Conference Finals. Not the case against Towns.
Towns posted 21 points while shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3 along with 13 rebounds and four assists. That stat line closely resembled his Game 1 performance when he had 18 points on a 7-for-15 clip, 12 rebounds and four assists. He hasn’t put on a complete clinic. He has fallen into foul trouble for two consecutive games. In Game 2, the calls were questionable. Towns picked up his third foul midway through the third quarter after Wembanyama locked arms with him. Castle committed the same tactics when Towns was called for his fourth foul nearly 16 seconds later. That didn’t compromise his aggressiveness, though.
Wembanyama hasn’t backed down from the challenge, either. Following his Game 1 sluggishness, Wembanyama played with more aggression and decisiveness. But it only comes in spurts. Wembanyama still has settled for 3s instead of imposing his will toward the rim. Wembanyama has allowed Towns to convert putbacks over him. Wembanyama has allowed Robinson to delay his decision-making.
That reality puts the Spurs in serious jeopardy. Only five teams in NBA history have ever overcome a 0-2 Finals series deficit. No team has ever performed that feat after losing the first two games at home. Good luck trying to make history against a Knicks team that has become the NBA’s most dominant team in this postseason. Good luck trying to overcome the odds in New York after that fanbase hasn’t witnessed an NBA Finals at MSG for 27 years.
Maybe Wembanyama can rise to that occasion. He has become the NBA’s next global superstar. He has won his first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has exerted his offensive dominance. He has competed with a perfect blend of humility and arrogance.
In these Finals, however, the Knicks have made an extraordinary player simply look ordinary.
