The Spurs’ superstar center did not play well enough in Game 5, at least according to their coach.
Victor Wembanyama took just 15 shots and scored 20 points (12 on free throws) as San Antonio fell to the Thunder 127-114 in a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday, and now faces an elimination game Thursday.
“He’s got to take more than 15 shots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. “Even with the [12] free throws, he’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure.”
The Spurs struggled to get Wembanyama involved in the offense in Game 5, and he’s the key cog in their success on both ends of the floor.
Wembanyama scored 41 and 33 points in the two Spurs victories in this series – Games 1 and 4, respectively — while he’s tallied 21, 26 and 20 points in the losses.
He notched 41 points and 24 rebounds in Game 1 followed by 21 points and 17 rebounds in the Game 2 defeat, but has not cleared double-digit rebounds in any of the three games since as it’s possible this grueling series against a physical Thunder team is wearing on him in his first postseason.
Oklahoma City has been noticeably chippy with him in an attempt to slow the 22-year-old down.
The big man did not speak to the media postgame, which could result in a fine since it violates the collective bargaining agreement that requires players to be available to the media after games.
The Thunder used a swarming approach against Wembanyama on Tuesday, and it will be up to the Spurs to figure out how to counter it with their season on the line in Game 6.
“I think they send so many bodies towards him, it’s hard at times,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win. So, it’s tough. But yeah, he’s our best player. We need him to be aggressive. I feel like him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”
When asked whether it was an aggression problem on Wembanyama’s part or a tactical error, the Spurs’ coach said it was a combination of both.
“OKC did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job,” Johnson added. “That’s probably the easiest in terms of when you [look at] surface-level stuff that he’ll definitely need to take more shots. But there’s a lot of things all over the place. Even when we had advantages, we just didn’t make simple plays and take advantage of the opportunity, that possession. In this type of game, you’ve got to be sure of everything you’re doing in a very secure, mature way.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
