The Warriors went into Saturday night hopeful of maintaining their spot on the Western Conference standings. One spot ahead of the Thunder, they were set to face the Spurs, a team that has been topsy-turvy the entire season.
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Until the 4th quarter, the game stayed true to the predictions, Warriors led by a comfortable 10 points. But a switch flipped in Victor Wembanyama, who changed the script. San Antonio outscored Stephen Curry and Co. 33-13 in the 4th and handed them their 4th loss of the season.
Wembanyama finished the fourth quarter with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting and also had 5 assists. Taking his total contribution way over the score the entire Warriors side could muster in the fourth. The comeback initiated by the French youngster, who landed just 5 of his 13 attempts in the first three quarters of the game, was awe-inspiring and naturally became a point of discussion in the press conference.
He was asked how he managed to overcome his struggles and turn it on in the final 12 minutes. that he couldn’t find his rhythm in the first half, but felt better physically as the game went on. He added that he wanted to be a player who could flip a switch at will and be the difference between wins and losses in tight games.
“It’s also answering [the call] and being there when my team needs me but also not doing too much. It’s a balance thing you need to learn as an NBA player… There’s a lot of tight games… It’s a switch I’m trying to flip on demand.”
Victor Wembanyama says Stephon Castle was locked in against #DubNation. He says his own switch didn’t turn on until the 4th qtr & that most of it has to do with conditioning. He reacts to Mitch Johnson’s comments about his “better fundamental 4th quarter,” and more. #PorVida pic.twitter.com/d0yv9LS3OE
— SpursRΞPORT (@SpursReporter) November 24, 2024
The center was a menace on both ends of the floor and protected the rim with such authority that the Warriors were forced to settle for shots from outside, which his teammates contested tenaciously, making life difficult for the GSW distance shooters.
The Spurs’ magnificent fourth-quarter performance vs. Warriors
The Warriors attempted 19 shots in the final 12 minutes, of which 10 were from beyond the arc. They made only two of those. Moreover, GSW did not fare too well in the perimeter or when attacking the rim. They shot 2-of-9 from inside the three-point line, finishing with a dismal 4-of-19 shooting performance.
The Spurs did not fare too well from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, shooting only 4-of-12. However, they were extremely efficient when attacking the rim and taking jump shots from the perimeter. They shot 8-of-11, outscoring the Warriors 16-4 from that range.
San Antonio using its size to its advantage proved to be the difference on the night and saw them improve to 9-8. The Spurs are finally looking like a team that could compete for a play-in spot as they look to end their five-year wait for a playoff appearance.
