The expected duel between Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James, who called him “alien” a few months ago, did not take place. The King had to forfeit the match between the Spurs and the Lakers. But the other poster in the poster, the one between Wemby and Anthony Davis, kept all its promises, even if, unfortunately for the Frenchman, it turned to the advantage of the player of the Californian franchise. Both because the Lakers won (122-119), bringing the number of consecutive defeats for the Spurs to 18, and because Davis was ranked No. 1 in the Draft despite his 4m89.
Comfortably leading the entire match, the Angelenos, winners of the NBA Cup on Saturday in Las Vegas, thought they would have it easy against San Antonio. This was without counting on a huge fourth quarter from the French giant, suddenly skillful from afar. Wembanyama totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks. But the rookie missed the equalizer eight seconds from the end, committing an offensive foul.
‘He’s a hell of a player’, Davis’ tribute to Wemby
“We are young, we lack experience, but we have no excuses. We have to match the intensity of the opponent, be more active in defense,” lamented “Wemby” about the first half. “I try to do everything I can for the team. I’m focusing more on rebounding, trying to be a more solid player, it’s progress. »
Anthony Davis, for his part, was full of praise for his young opponent, whom he seems to hold in esteem. “He obviously has a lot of pressure being the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he’s a heck of a player. He struggled at times tonight but ended up shining. He’s one of those great generational talents. It was fun to face him. » Fun to watch, too.