Victor Wembanyama has shocked everyone with his debut in the conference finals stage. His massive 41-24 performance in Game 1 against the OKC Thunder had everyone in the NBA world talking about the Thunder’s fading dominance in the current postseason. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith opened up on the French center’s counterpart, Chet Holmgren, and launched a rant on him.
Wemby limited Holmgren to around 28% from the field, with eight points and eight rebounds. Moreover, in important plays, Alex Caruso was seen guarding the 7-foot-4 center while Holmgren took up comparatively easier matchups. Smith mentioned that on his show and criticized the American center for not doing his duties.
Smith stated that if the Thunder lose another game to the Spurs, they won’t come back from the deficit. He said:
“It’s one thing for Carusos and Jalen Williams to be guarding Wemby on the perimeter, get up to him, compromise his movement with his legs, try to make things difficult for him… I got that part.
“What the hell are they doing on Wemby in the post? They can’t do anything against him on the post… Where’s your (Holmgren’s) pride? I don’t give a damn what the coach suggests. You do it, you like ‘I got them’… You’re 7’1”, and you’re leaving that responsibility to somebody else. Shame on you. Shame on you. Chet Holmgren has to step up.”
Holmgren and Wemby have a long-standing rivalry from their college days, when Holmgren’s Team USA defeated Wemby’s Team France to win the gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.
The two now continue to grow their rivalry in the conference finals, but the reigning DPOY has had a clear advantage over Homlgren for now. His defense in the paint has been overpowering, as three starters weren’t able to reach double digits in points.
Fans riled up after Chet Holmgren seen stepping on Victor Wembanyama in Game 1
Game 1 of the WC finals was one hell of a show between the current MVP and DPOY. The Spurs managed to edge out the Thunder, 122-115, in a double-overtime thriller. However, an incident at the free-throw line caught fans’ attention.
Bleacher Report shared the video on Instagram and wrote:
“Chet stepped on Wemby’s foot during this free throw in Game 1”
Fans were shocked at Chet Holmgren’s actions and called him out in the comment section. The Thunder has already caught a lot of flak this season for their foul-flopping and other antics on the court. This only adds to their running image.
Even with everything against them, including the crowd, the Spurs came out as champions. The series promises to be a thrilling matchup between the two giants and won’t be finished any time soon. The next game at Paycom Center would be crucial for the defending champs.
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