Wembanyama admits – Victor Wembanyama called the Spurs’ Game 4 collapse “painful” after San Antonio squandered a 29-point lead in a 107-106 loss to the Knicks. With the series now tied 3-1 against the Spurs, Game 5 is set for Saturday at the Frost Bank Center.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t try to sugarcoat what happened after Game 4.
In the Spurs locker room. the 22-year-old admitted it still hurt—especially after San Antonio blew a 29-point advantage in Wednesday night’s 107-106 loss to the New York Knicks. “It was painful, of course,” Wembanyama said. “It feels like we worked too hard to give up our leads. It’s as simple as that. It just hurts.”.
The margin for error in the NBA Finals doesn’t allow for moral victories, and the Knicks turned that lead into a moment that will be replayed for years. Their comeback was the largest in NBA Finals history, eclipsing the Boston Celtics’ 24-point rally against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
San Antonio now trails 3-1 in the championship series. The Spurs had looked in control early. building the largest halftime lead by a road team in Finals history—76-49—behind 59.6 percent shooting and 53.8 percent from deep. Devin Vassell played a major role in that momentum, leading a playoff-run-high 14 first-half triples. Then the game slipped away. After intermission. San Antonio converted just 20.5 percent of its attempts. hit 17.6 percent from beyond the arc. scored only 30 points. and committed nine turnovers.
Wembanyama’s night mirrored the swing in a way that felt almost unbearable to watch. He poured in 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the opening half, but managed eight points on 3-of-14 shooting from there. He finished with 24 points (9-25 FG), 13 rebounds and three blocks across 44 minutes—his second double-double of the Finals. He also took responsibility for missing two free throws in the final two minutes. a late detail that loomed larger once San Antonio’s lead disappeared.
The finish turned chaotic. De’Aaron Fox’s drive was blocked with 5.7 seconds left, and then OG Anunoby tipped in Jalen Brunson’s missed three with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Adding another layer of pressure, a flagrant foul has Wembanyama one infraction away from a one-game suspension. In a series where one night can flip the entire series narrative, that kind of thin line matters.
San Antonio’s path back still isn’t impossible—history offers a slim opening. Only LeBron James’ 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers have overturned a 3-1 Finals deficit. But the Spurs have been here before in a different round. They escaped elimination previously by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Games 6 and 7 of the West finals. Wembanyama insisted the message inside the team is to respond.
One bright spot for San Antonio came from rookie Dylan Harper. He inspired a bench unit that outscored New York’s reserves by 16.
Game 5 tips off Saturday at the Frost Bank Center with the Knicks one win from their first title in over 50 years.
Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks NBA Finals Game 4 Game 5 107-106 29-point lead OG Anunoby Jalen Brunson De'Aaron Fox Devin Vassell Dylan Harper flagrant foul suspension