Wembanyama Reflects on Late Blunders After Spurs' Narrow Finals Loss to Knicks
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama faced the media after a heart-wrenching 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday, struggling to recall the details of his late-game miscues that cost the Spurs. The Spurs mounted a remarkable comeback, executing a 14-0 scoring run to overturn a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, even taking a brief one-point lead before their hopes crumbled. Wembanyama played a pivotal role in this rally but was plagued by two critical mistakes: a potential game-winning shot that missed and an inexplicable turnover when he passed the ball into teammate Stephon Castle’s back. Wembanyama expressed his frustration, stating, "I need to have more poise, more control over the game." With the score tied at 104-104 and only 9.5 seconds remaining, his ill-timed pass proved costly. He reflected, "That’s the most frustrating thing, to throw it away after putting in all this work." Despite having the opportunity to clinch victory, Wembanyama's final jump shot bounced off the rim. "Of course I liked the shot. I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score," he remarked, while Castle emphasized that there was no one else the Spurs would prefer taking that shot. As the series shifts to New York for Games 3 and 4, the Spurs face an uphill battle. Wembanyama acknowledged their precarious situation, stating, "We’re digging ourselves a hole. That’s been the theme so far." Historically, no NBA team has lost the first two games of the finals on their home court and gone on to win the championship. Wembanyama concluded, "We needed to win that game. This game was ours. Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel us next game? Absolutely."
Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-06-06