点击查看原文：3 takeaways as Wembanyama fuels comeback win over Warriors
3 takeaways as Wembanyama fuels comeback win over Warriors
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) congratulates forward Harrison Barnes (40) on making a basket during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
In the span of five days, the Spurs have won two games against a team leading the Western Conference, sandwiched around the largest comeback victory of their season.
The only people not shocked by their sudden three-game winning streak might be the Spurs themselves.
“I think this is where we expected to be,” Victor Wembanyama said after the Spurs beat Golden State 104-94 on Saturday.
Playing for the first time since knocking knees with Anthony Davis on Nov. 15, Wembanyama shrugged off a slow start to finish with 25 points, a season-high nine assists and three blocks to spearhead the Spurs’ latest stirring win.
It came on the heels of a 20-point comeback victory against Utah on Thursday, which itself followed a rousing win over Oklahoma City two nights before that.
The Spurs had to stage another rally to beat the Warriors, this one from 17 points down in the third quarter.
Harrison Barnes scored 22 points, logging his third consecutive game of at least 20, while rookie Stephon Castle chipped in 19 for the Spurs.
With the triumph, the Spurs matched their longest winning streak from last season. They also improved to 9-8, their first time over .500 so late in the season since beginning the 2020-21 campaign 11-10.
“I think the young guys should get credit for some of the progression and maturity that they’ve shown,” acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “Especially against some of the teams that we’ve showed it against.”
Like Oklahoma City before them, the Warriors arrived at the Frost Bank Center with the best record in the Western Conference.
Like the Thunder, the Warriors (12-4) left knocked down a peg.
Andrew Wiggins led Golden State with 20 points, but the Spurs’ defense — spearheaded by Castle — did a good job against Warriors’ star Stephen Curry.
Curry finished with 14 points and three turnovers, and was 5 of 16 from the field.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s victory for the Spurs, who will hope to keep the good times rolling when they visit Utah on Tuesday in Emirates NBA Cup competition:
1. Wemby came alive with the game on the line
At the end of the third quarter, Wembanyama’s return game was not quite going to plan.
He had 13 points. He was 5 of 12 from the field. He was 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
He also had four turnovers.
Wembanyama erased all of that with a dominant fourth quarter that proved, once again, why he is one of the most coveted young players in the league.
The 20-year-old star made play after play after play after play, racking up 12 points, five assists and a pair of blocks in the frame.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks for a way to the basket past Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
“He was a grown man in the fourth quarter,” Johnson said.
Wembanyama was 2 of 10 from beyond the arc when he buried a contested 3-pointer to pull the Spurs within one point with 6:55 to go.
He hit another deep 3-pointer with 3:14 to go to put the Spurs up by six. Moments after that, he snuck in behind Trayce Jackson-Davis to swat a shot at the rim.
Twice in the final 90 seconds, with the Spurs needing buckets to keep the Warriors at bay, Wembanyama found a cutting Barnes for layups.
“Every game you can always just find a moment,” Barnes said. “And I think Vic does that better than anybody. Just finding that moment.”
2. The fourth quarter defense was stellar
The Spurs trailed by 17 points with 1:54 remaining in the third quarter. From there, they went on a 40-13 run to take the game.
The secret sauce was defense.
The Spurs held the high-powered Warriors to only 13 points in the fourth, limiting them to 4 of 19 shooting. Golden State made only a pair of 3-pointers in the final frame.
“Thirteen points in the fourth quarter versus a team that has been there many times and thrives in those moments, I was very happy with the physicality, with the connectivity,” Johnson said. “It was our best quarter to date, in my opinion.”
3. The Spurs’ Steph outdueled the Warriors’ Steph
As has been the case for most games this season, Castle drew a defensive assignment against the other team’s best player.
In this case, that was Curry.
Yes, it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Warriors. Yes, Curry missed some circus shots he normally makes.
Still, Castle made life hard on the other Steph.
“It’s something that I’ve asked for,” Castle said about the nightly murderer’s row of defensive assignments. “I feel like that was part of the reason they drafted me to come here.”
a BIG fourth quarter for the rook @ StephonCastle
: 19 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST pic.twitter.com/XgFGuhNPwM
— San Antonio Spurs (@ spurs) November 24, 2024
Castle helped hold Curry to a season-low shooting percentage of 31.3%.
In between, Castle had some Curry-like moments of his own. The biggest came with 3:48 left in the game, when Castle nailed a deep tie-breaking 3-pointer to put the Spurs up for good, 93-90.
“That was the biggest shot of the game,” Chris Paul said. “He’s just turning 20 and he acts like he’s 39. The only way that you can ever be that confident is if you put in the work. He does, day in and day out.”
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, blocks a shot by Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2)during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) stares down San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) as he brings the ball up court during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) reaches for the ball as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30)drives down the court during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
The Spurs Coyote greets some young fans on the side line during the first half of the San Antonio Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) passes the ball during the first half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) passes the ball during the first half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) fouls Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) at the basket duriwith the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson talks to referee Tre Maddox during the first half of the San Antonio Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) passed the ball between Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) looks for someone to pass to during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives between Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) and guard Lindy Waters III (43) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) looks to pass the ball during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard Stephon Castle (5) talk on the court during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) tries to steal the ball from Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) as guard Stephon Castle (5) applies pressure from the other side during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) drives past Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) shoots a three point basket over Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) brings the ball up court during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) slams down a dunk during the second half of the Spurs NBA game with the Golden State Warriors at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson (1) tries to steal the ball from San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is fouled by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) as he drives to the basket during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) drives past Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the second half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 in San Antonio. The Spurs beat the Warriors 104-94.
