In a close contest, the Houston Rockets got better of the San Antonio Spurs by defeating the hosts by 103-101. The aggressive defense of the visitors particularly limited the capability of the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama amidst his in-game heat check moments. Soon after the conclusion of the clash, the Frenchman candidly addressed the on-court scenarios while revealing his perspective.
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By the end of the third quarter, the Spurs were down by four points in front of the home crowd. So, early into the fourth quarter, the rookie shouldered the responsibility of turning things around. He scored five quick points before ending the quarter with eight. In the post-match conference, Wemby addressed the approach upon answering a question from ClutchPoints‘ Hector Ledesma.
“I think it was more coming with the flow naturally. Waiting for my responsibility and trying to fit into the game plan. So, it’s gonna happen. Everyone has their heat checks sometimes,” the Spurs center mentioned.
Spurs post-game
Asked #VictorWembanyama if his 5 quick pts early in the 4th and 8 in qtr came because of a change in approach or if it was in flow. Had 5 pts through 1st 3 quarters.
Said it came within flow, but added…
“Everyone has a heat check sometimes”
Complete answer ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Qwx8of1v5K
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) March 13, 2024
During that time, the 20-year-old opened up about the seemingly aggressive defensive strategy of the opponent. Admitting the necessity to adapt to the opposition, he declared,
“Teams change strategies mid-season. So, teams have played me in several different ways throughout the year. So, it really depends”.
Spurs post-game
Asked #VictorWembanyama if he thinks the Rockets play him more aggressively defensively than anyone else in the #NBA …
“Teams have played me several different ways throughout the year. It depends…”
Rest of answer⬇️#Spurs #GoSpursGo #PorVida pic.twitter.com/CW6KKobc02
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) March 13, 2024
The statements captured his rapid development as a rookie since the start of the season. Undoubtedly, the Rockets’ approach paid dividends as they limited the Spurs star to 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Yet, he considered this setback as a part of his learning curve within the NBA.
Precisely due to this, Wemby has emerged as the leading contender for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. Despite the franchise failing to create a lasting impact, the 7ft 4″ has caught the eyes averaging 20.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game, as per ESPN. Hence, he has been on the right track since entering the league as the organization aims to provide him with the necessary tools to win.
