SAN ANTONIO – With the NBA season reaching its final 20 games, Thursday night's meeting at Frostbank Center between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder looked as if it would have a bigger impact on this year's NBA race. Of anything related to the top spots in the Western Conference standings.
Who will win the third one-on-one showdown between budding star Victor Wimpanyama, San Antonio's 7-foot-4 French center, and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City's 7-1 postman who was drafted in 2022 but is still a rookie due to an injury that cost him a season The entire 2022-23?
Wasn't the game itself destined to be another easy win for the Thunder, just like their 36-point win over the Spurs on Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City and their 26-point thrashing in San Antonio on Jan. 24?
What happened before another crowd was the end of the rookie race with little impact on the race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Wimpanyama led the Spurs to a thrilling 132-118 win over the first-place Thunder, while also providing clear evidence to any remaining ROY voters that he deserves every first-place vote.
Wimbanyama's final production — 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and two steals — was not a testament to the totality of his game, especially at both ends in the fourth quarter. That period began with Spurs clinging to a 98-96 lead and ended with a convincing 14-point victory.
Wimpy played the entire final clip, owning it just like 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had the night before when he scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Lakers back from 21 down for a win over the Lakers. Los Angeles Clippers.
Two unicorns, born 20 years apart.
With an 11-48 record entering Thursday's game, the Spurs had seen more than a few games that looked winnable that turned out poorly under fourth period pressure. That was the case last week after their five-point loss to both the Sacramento Kings and Lakers as they continued a nine-game rodeo road trip that ended in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
How did Wembanyama manage to write a happy ending against OKC in his team's first home match since February 3? Channeling his inner Kobe Bryant, the late Lakers Hall of Famer who was one of the all-time greats and an early inspiration for the pre-teen Parisian basketball phenomenon now known as Wimpy.
“It's very mental,” Wimbanyama said. “You know, Kobe said that winning a game mostly requires big shots, because it doesn't call for any fouls. It's not so much a physical battle. Even though it takes 90 percent effort on defense, It takes a lot mentally on offense.
While Wimpanyama only made two shots in the fourth period, both 3-pointers, the Spurs ran their offense through him for the better part of the period. He also had three of his seven assists in the fourth set and two of his five blocks.
“He's not afraid to put himself out there,” Hall of Fame Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He'll take shots and he's not afraid. He doesn't worry if he misses or what the consequences are or anything like that. He loves those moments.”
This is also very Cuban.
Before the game was over, Wimbanyama had made more NBA history: he was the first player ever to have more than 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and five 3-pointers in a single game.
He then gave an impromptu interview on the field in front of 17,207 fans, telling Spurs fans how he felt about being in front of them for the first time in nearly a month.
“I really missed this-,” he told them before calling them into a quick chant of “Go Spurs Go.”
A few of his teammates were still within sight when Wimpy had his “pardon my French” moment.
“I think let it be him,” guard Trey Jones said, laughing at his 20-year-old teammate's mistake. “We don't want to change that. Look where it's gotten him to this point.”
As for the ROY race, Jones and the rest of Wimbanyama's teammates seem surprised that anyone thinks it remains a race at all, no matter what Wimbanyama himself asserts.
“I feel like it's over,” said guard Devin Vassell, who scored 28 points, “but night in and day out, the things he does, the impact he makes on both ends of the floor…big shot after big block, after no matter what the situation is. He even looks like a newbie.
“I mean the shots he hits, the confidence he has in his game is unparalleled, honestly.”
However, Wembanyama reminded everyone that there are more than 20 matches remaining for both teams. He insists that this means it is too early to cancel the order.
For his part, Holmgren had some great moments on Thursday, especially in the first quarter, when he outscored Wembanyama 11-2. By halftime, he had 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seemed determined to make his case for ROY votes.
But the second half belonged to Wimpy, who made no excuses for wanting an honor that now seems certain to be his as long as he plays at least 12 more games to reach the NBA's 65-game minimum for the accolades.
“It is very important for me because I am convinced that the best way for me to help my team is to perform individually throughout the entire season,” he said. “So, yeah, individual awards like Rookie of the Year are very important to me.”
It was clear Thursday that both 7-foot rookies were pumped for another chance to compete against each other. As long as both players remain healthy, NBA fans will be watching this rivalry for a very long time. One day, longtime Spurs fans may ask themselves how their rivalry compares to Hall of Fame rivals David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal.
All four of these 7-foot greats have championship rings, and this latest pair of 7-foot stars, the so-called Thin Zodiacs, seem destined for the same.
(Photo by Victor Wimbanyama and Chet Holmgren: Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images)
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