Wembanyama was nothing short of phenomenal, finishing with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks in 40 minutes of play. This stat line is unprecedented on Christmas Day, coming close to Wilt Chamberlainās legendary 45-point mark for a Christmas debut. However, Wembanyama's focus post-game was not on his historical achievement but on the team's inability to close out the game.
`Itās not my first thought at all,` Wembanyama said, emphasizing his concern over the team's performance rather than his individual stats. `Iām thinking about the game right now and just thinking weāre close, but we lack some attributes at times. You know, weāre right there. It was a really disputed game.ā
The Spurs' struggle to execute in crunch time has been a recurring theme this season, keeping them around the .500 mark despite a promising start. Veteran leader Chris Paul acknowledged this issue, stressing the need for the team to mature and win those tight games. `For us, the next step is winning those games,` Paul said. `We got to get to that point where all that āyoung guy stuffā got to go out the window.`
As the Spurs continue to grow and learn, Wembanyama's performance serves as a reminder of the team's potential, but also highlights the work needed to turn close calls into victories.
#Wembanyama,#Spurs,#NBAChristmas,#ChrisPaul,#SpursKnicks