San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reflected on Wednesday’s 134-132 win over the New York Knicks, highlighting his team’s response in the second half. “We were not very good for a lot of stretches in the first half. The competitive response and the energy we were putting as the game went on into the right areas, we felt it,” he said.
Johnson addressed Victor Wembanyama’s injury scare in the fourth quarter. “I saw what everybody else saw… he finished the game on the bench with his teammates. That made me feel good,” the coach said, noting that the French center limped off after an offensive rebound attempt but returned to the bench in warmups.
Julian Champagnie’s career-high 36 points were central to the comeback. “He’s been phenomenal in rebounding, team defense, and landing in a place comfortable with where his shots can come from. When we play the right way, it produces pretty good opportunities for him, and he took advantage of that,” Johnson explained.
The Spurs coach praised his backcourt and supporting players. “Keldon was great, Luke [Kornet] was great, and De’Aaron Fox was phenomenal. His consistency on defense, balancing attack mode, including teammates, and pacing the game is huge for us,” he said.
Johnson also highlighted the importance of stepping up when needed. “That group in the fourth quarter… when it’s your day, you need to pick your teammate up. When it’s not, you still figure out how to participate in pushing in the right direction,” he explained.
The coach noted that clean execution was key to giving Champagnie open looks. “If we play clean offensive basketball, he’s going to get really good looks. It’s on us as a staff and teammates to make sure we do not take those opportunities away from him,” Johnson said.
San Antonio navigated late-game intensity despite close calls. “We’ve had conversations about not reacting to whistles or when things don’t go our way… I want them to just play and allow me to take on that fight for them,” he said.
Johnson concluded by emphasizing the team’s focus on process over panic. “It’s good to see players step up, execute, and maintain energy, especially against a very physical and competitive team like New York. That’s how we get wins in tight games,” he added.
