Victor Wembanyama returned to the Spurs’ lineup with a bang, handing the Thunder just their second loss of the 25/26 season. San Antonio looks elite, and Wembanyama once again showed why he is on a fast track to becoming one of the NBA’s best. His presence was a major reason the Spurs pushed their way to the Cup Final.
Advertisement
At one point, the Spurs were down by 16. But they battled back and managed to win it 111-109. Wembanyama, who had missed the last few weeks with injury, only played in 20 minutes of the contest, but he made a massive impact. He had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Not to mention, he hit multiple clutch shots and was a +21 when on the floor.
When Kendrick Perkins was asked what he saw out of the Spurs and Wembanyama after the game, he kept it short and sweet.
“I saw, ‘F*ck you.’ That’s what I saw,” Perkins stated on Road Trippin’. “I saw a big, ‘F*ck you.’ What else do you want me to say?”
It wasn’t just Wembanyama on Saturday. The entire Spurs lineup came ready to play. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each had 22 points, and Devin Vassell led the team with 23.
There was a sort of confidence and swagger oozing from the Spurs against the Thunder.
“You gotta have confidence, and you gotta have that swag in order to beat OKC. When I’m watching it, I’m saying, ‘These guys don’t give a damn. They want this smoke!’” Perkins noted.
Wembanyama undoubtedly adds confidence to the Spurs squad. Even without him, they went 9–3. They are an excellent basketball team, boasting speedy two-way guard depth and strong coaching. But the Frenchman adds an entirely different dimension, one that makes San Antonio especially difficult to break down on the defensive end.
“As long as he stays healthy, like, forget the stat sheet. He’s gonna be that one that leads the league in blocked shots for years to come. But his presence, that doesn’t just happen against OKC. He does that against everybody,” Perkins said. “His ability to cover ground. Like, Wemby could be at the three-point line, and you could think you’ve got a wide-open layup. Then all of a sudden, he’s erasing that.”
Wembanyama is truly unlike anything we have ever seen in the NBA, which is precisely why they call him The Alien. His rare blend of size and skill turns Spurs games into must-see TV, and he has quickly become one of the league’s main attractions.
If Wembanyama can stay healthy, San Antonio should absolutely be viewed as a legitimate contender to come out of the West and compete for a title. We just watched them take down one of the greatest teams in NBA history with him playing only 20 minutes. It was impressive, and it put the entire league on notice.
