Coach Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder attempted to minimise the attention that each player received ahead of his team’s Wednesday night matchup in San Antonio. “It’s not tennis; it’s a team sport,” he declared.
Nice try, but it’s Rivals Week, and historically, NBA rivalries have involved players competing against one other just as much as teams competing against each other. Often, the players open the door to these kinds of confrontations; Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, for example, embodied the legendary Lakers-Celtics games.
The one-on-one matchup was intriguing, with Spurs 7-footer Victor Wembanyama facing OKC’s Chet Holmgren on Wednesday for the second time this year. Compared to their game on November 14, it was a more straightforward matchup because San Antonio is now effectively using Wemby at centre. Even so, things became a bit tense between them, particularly in the evening.
However, a rivalry between the ascending Western powers might develop, with the Thunder already on the way and the Spurs likely to upgrade soon around their marquee trade acquisition.
The head-to-head was so eagerly awaited that this week’s Ladder patiently awaited the outcome. The rookies kind of spun their wheels the last time. They were in the forefront this time. Wembanyama made half of his eighteen attempts and finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocked shots. In the end, Holmgren scored 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 three-pointers. Their disparities in stats were similar to what they have been all season, providing the 7-foot-4 Frenchman with just enough room to stay at the top.
In their first meeting, Holmgren’s squad prevailed 123-87. The score was 140-114 this time. OKC is 10 wins better now at 31-13 than they were after 44 games the previous season. After 44 games, San Antonio is five games poorer, at 8-36. The best rookies in NBA history have usually improved their teams’ records, sometimes significantly. That is merely a fact. If nothing else, it demonstrates how awful the Spurs had to get Wembanyama and how awful they still are with him.
