Popovich Tells Wembanyama He Played Better Than 6-for-21 in Spurs' 105-95 Finals Loss
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Popovich Tells Wembanyama He Played Better Than 6-for-21 in Spurs' 105-95 Finals Loss
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Summary
Victor Wembanyama said Gregg Popovich texted after Game 1 that he had "been bad" and played far better than he showed in San Antonio's 105-95 loss to New York.
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, but shot 6-for-21 overall and 2-for-9 from 3, echoing the criticism by saying, "I was bad tonight."
A 14-point third-quarter lead vanished as the Spurs were beaten 23-14 on second-chance points and managed only 16 assists, two areas coach Mitch Johnson flagged for improvement.
Johnson said the Knicks packed the paint and took away lob chances for Wembanyama, while Wembanyama argued the fix is mental rather than tactical: trust the game plan and avoid changing their style in the Finals.
Game 2 is Friday night in San Antonio, with the Spurs skipping practice Thursday because of the quick turnaround.