Victor Wembanyama spoke after leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 119-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Frost Bank Center on Thursday. “It’s feeling well better than I expected… sore from everywhere just like everybody in the league, tired just like everybody,” he said regarding his body after a heavy week of games.
The 7-foot-4 French center addressed a first-quarter knee scare against Giannis Antetokounmpo. “It was just like a knee to knee… thankfully a very benign thing,” Wembanyama said.
He acknowledged the physical attention he faces on the court. “Yeah, of course… you have to be ready to give up your body for this matchup… but usually we have to be smart and I have to be smart about it,” he said.
Wembanyama reflected on maintaining momentum and recognizing open opportunities. “Most often when I block a guy’s shot, I have the ball in my hands and the defense is not ready… the space is open up more, and if I have the ball in the shooting area, it’s going up,” he explained.
The Spurs star also praised his team’s offensive cohesion. “It felt like a good offensive performance… Mitch put a real emphasis on this morning on shooting and really made it clear that we need to take that seriously and I think it showed tonight,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama shared a lighter moment about fans going bald like the Spurs star. “It shows dedication. I didn’t even expect it from them and they exceeded my expectations,” he said regarding fans matching his energy.
The Spurs dominated Milwaukee across the board, shooting 51% overall, 43% from three, and converting 23-of-27 free throws. Stephon Castle added 19 points and 10 assists, while Julian Champagnie contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds. Wembanyama finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and a block in just over 22 minutes of play.
San Antonio outscored the Bucks 35-26 in the second quarter and built a 37-point lead in the third before resting starters. Milwaukee shot 34% from the floor and 35% from three, with Giannis leading the team with 21 points.
The win improves the Spurs to 28-13, tied for third in the Western Conference, while Milwaukee drops to 17-24, 11th in the East. San Antonio hosts Minnesota on Saturday, and Milwaukee visits Atlanta on Monday.
