Wembanyama Struggles in Spurs Opener Against Thunder

A Rough Start for Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama had a very difficult night in Tuesday's 116-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It took until the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter for him to score his first bucket. He fought past Chet Holmgren, set a screen on Cason Wallace, and rolled to the basket for a spinning dunk off a lob from De'Aaron Fox.

Before that moment, the French star missed his previous 12 shots. This tied the mark for the second-most missed field goals to start a season opener in the play-by-play era. Wembanyama finished the game shooting a career-worst 8% from the field, going 1-for-13. He recorded 12 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks.

Thunder Defense Shuts Down the Star

The Oklahoma City defense focused heavily on Wembanyama all night. They used a strong mix of help defense and physical play without letting other San Antonio scorers take over. Chet Holmgren played a physical game, scoring 14 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking four shots.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised his team's balance on defense. He noted that they put Wembanyama in a crowd and maintained discipline on the ball. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson noted that the entire team struggled in the opening match, which saw the Thunder build a 26-point lead in the second quarter.

Looking Ahead to the Next Games

De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle both mentioned that the guards need to help Wembanyama get easier catches and better spots on the floor. Castle expressed confidence that Wembanyama will find his rhythm as the season goes on.