Wembanyama after Game 2: “We have to trust the game plan”
Victor Wembanyama breaks his silence after the Spurs’ Game 2 loss to the Thunder, discussing what went wrong and addressing the injury situations involving Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox
The excitement after Game 1 had made it seem like the series might already be shifting in one direction, but the picture changed completely within 48 hours. The Spurs fell 122-113 to the Thunder, bringing the series back to even.
Harper and Fox injuries
More concerning for San Antonio than the result itself is the injury situation in the backcourt. Dylan Harper exited the game with a right hamstring issue, while De’Aaron Fox has yet to play in the series because of an ankle sprain. A major concern at the most critical point of the season.
Speaking after the game, Victor Wembanyama refused to make excuses. The French big man openly addressed the issues the team showed, particularly during the decisive stretches of the game.
We lacked consistency throughout the entire game. I also had several negative stretches myself, especially in the fourth quarter. We have to trust the work done in scouting and prepare ourselves better for situations ahead of time. We know the tactics by heart, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to execute
Victor Wembanyama
OKC raised both the physical and mental intensity in the second half, also taking advantage of Mitch Johnson’s team struggles in handling the ball.
Wembanyama himself pointed directly to that issue as one of the biggest problems without the team’s primary ball handlers.
We need to do a better job helping our ball handlers and managing possessions better. We didn’t do that well enough tonight. We need more composure, more control, and the same aggression we showed in the third quarter
Victor Wembanyama
Despite the difficult night, San Antonio still had a few positives to build on. Alongside the usual impact from Wembanyama, who followed his 41-point performance in Game 1 with another strong outing, the Spurs also received an important response from Stephon Castle.
The rookie likely played his best game of the series: 25 points, 8 assists, and plenty of confidence as a lead playmaker, taking on major responsibilities with Fox unavailable.
And Wembanyama made sure to praise his young teammate.
His competitiveness is incredible, and we need that. He gets us out of a lot of difficult situations
Victor Wembanyama
The series now shifts to Texas for Game 3 and Game 4, with the Spurs looking to reclaim home-court advantage in front of their fans in San Antonio. Talent does not appear to be the issue, but against the defending champions, inexperience continues to show up in the details that decide playoff games.
The feeling is that San Antonio has already proven it can create problems for OKC, but they’ll need greater composure, fewer turnovers, and above all better health to withstand the pressure of a series that keeps getting more intense.