Victor Wembanyama needed three quarters to score his first basket, a dunk off a lob from De'Aaron Fox that came as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. The San Antonio Spurs lost 116-104 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Tuesday's season opener, and Wembanyama finished with 8% shooting (1-for-13) from the field, a career low. He also finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks.
The 0-for-12 start tied the second-most missed field goals to open a season opener in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), according to Elias. Wembanyama said he needs to get back to playing the game he enjoys. "I missed a lot of shots I usually don't miss," he said. "I might be overthinking it. I don't need to do more. I need to think less probably."
The struggles stand in contrast to his success against Oklahoma City last season. He averaged 18.4 points in five regular-season games against the Thunder, shooting 52.4% from the field, and raised his scoring average to 27.3 points in the Western Conference finals. Oklahoma City's defense on Tuesday was different, constantly showing multiple defenders and providing help without letting San Antonio's other scorers get going. Chet Holmgren scored 14 points and swatted one of Wembanyama's shots in the second quarter. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised the balance of his team's defensive approach.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 26 points in the second quarter, making 10-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half. The Spurs struggled to find their offense with a new guard-heavy starting lineup that included Wembanyama, Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said everyone struggled equally, while Fox said the guards must create easier opportunities for Wembanyama.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing