Victor Wembanyama responded to his crucial miss at the end of Game 2 by dominating Monday night’s Game 3 action, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a vital 115-111 win over the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
The towering center started strong at Madison Square Garden, connecting on his opening two attempts and finishing the night with 32 points. Wembanyama exploded out of the gate with nine points in the opening five minutes, beginning with an alley-oop slam followed by another dunk on the subsequent play. His impact extended across both sides of the floor, particularly during crucial late-game moments.
The young star helped San Antonio establish an early advantage, but proved even more valuable during a third-quarter comeback after the team squandered another significant lead.
Following his assist to Keldon Johnson for a basket that evened the score at 76 with 5:38 remaining in the third period, Wembanyama connected on a long-range three-pointer from 29 feet to give the Spurs the lead. He opened the fourth quarter with another score and later converted two free throws after drawing a foul to reach the team’s 99th and 100th points.
When the Knicks threatened another rally with four minutes left on the clock, Wembanyama came up with a crucial defensive play, rejecting what appeared to be an easy scoring opportunity for Landry Shamet.
The 7-foot-4 center completed his stat line with eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks in what amounted to a must-win scenario for his team. No squad has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the finals to capture the championship.
His teammates expressed complete confidence in Wembanyama despite the 22-year-old missing a potential Game 2 winner that hit the rim. Johnson encouraged him to keep shooting and emphasized that the team wants the ball in Wembanyama’s possession during critical situations.
During the weekend, coach Mitch Johnson discussed the situation with Wembanyama, though it appeared to be similar to their regular exchanges throughout the season and postseason.
“I think he’s looking for what my job is, which is to help him, support him, give him clarity, give him solutions or possible solutions to continue to give him opportunities and give him advantages,” Johnson said before the game. “That’s our job, and my job specifically, to put these guys in position to be successful, and then they have got to go and help themselves and help their teammates when they get out there on the floor.”
Knicks counterpart Mike Brown recognized the difficulty of measuring success against Wembanyama due to the massive impact of the towering big man.
“It’s a pretty simple formula: You’re not blocking his shots, you’re not getting him off his spots — you’re not doing these things to him,” Brown said. “You hope you can make him work at the end of the day, and you hope he misses some shots.”
Wembanyama converted 11 of 18 field goal attempts while quieting a hostile crowd that directed inappropriate chants in his direction at one point. He’ll have another opportunity to help the Spurs tie the series when Game 4 tips off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
