Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs find themselves on the brink of elimination after a 107-106 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
It looked like the Spurs had the game in the bag, leading 76-49 heading into the third quarter after a strong finish to the second period. Instead, San Antonio collapsed in devastating fashion, blowing a 29-point lead over the remaining quarters, which allowed the Knicks to complete the largesst comeback in NBA Finals history.
Wembanyama, who embraced the “villain” tag, was subjected to harsh treatment from Knicks fans after the game. The 7-foot-4 French star appeared to be targeted, with objects allegedly thrown from the home section outside MSG.
While Spurs players were walking to the team bus in front of Knicks fans, Wembanyama was struck by objects thrown in his direction from the crowd. The 22-year-old was visibly disappointed after being hit, but security quickly intervened and escorted him safely to the team bus.
New York is one of the most passionate markets in the entire NBA. Whether the team is winning or losing, fans are not afraid to voice their opinions, which often leads to such incidents. NBA fan culture, after all, not only mixes passion and humor, but sometimes games can grow heated and spiral out of control, with fans behaving inappropriately toward players and, on some occasions, situations escalating into unrest, as we have seen in this series.
Victor Wembanyama Blames Team’s ‘Greediness’ for Late Collapse
In his post-game press conference, Victor Wembanyama did not shy away from addressing the critical sequence, saying the team’s “greediness” allowed the game to slip away in the final quarter.
Wembanyama said the lapses began well before the fourth quarter.
“Can’t really explain it right now,” he said. “It’s just execution. Greediness, of some sort. We clearly weren’t the hungriest team in the second half.”
When asked about the final play, where De’Aaron Fox went for a layup against OG Anunoby instead of dribbling out the clock, he said:
“I fell on the floor. I couldn’t really see. I don’t know. I just saw the block,” he said.
Wembanyama played a game-high 44 minutes in the loss, recording 24 points and 13 rebounds. He was held to just eight points over the final two quarters. He also missed a pair of crucial free throws late in the game with the Spurs clinging to a one-point lead.
On the other side, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby had fantastic performances, combining for 69 points.
The Knicks lead the series 3-1 with the win and are now one win away from their first championship since 1973. Game 5 of the NBA Finals will be played on Saturday.
Read More:
Karl-Anthony Towns’ GF Jordyn Woods Drops 5-Word Reaction on OG Anunoby’s Game-Winner
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
