San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama addressed the challenges his team faces against the Houston Rockets ahead of Wednesday’s matchup at Toyota Center. The Frenchman emphasized Houston’s physical style of play, noting their high rankings in offensive rebounds and turnovers forced.
“Yeah, it’s mental, but it’s not like we lack the will to do it,” Wembanyama said when asked if the Spurs’ struggles were physical or mental, via ClutchPoints. He added that success comes down to recognizing the plays that pay off and not shying away from physicality.
Wembanyama stressed the importance of sticking to the Spurs’ style. “I think just continue to play our game. With the guards we have, we’re super dynamic, so I feel like we can play against a lot of different lineups and especially not give up anything defensively,” he said. “Offensively just sticking to the same thing that we’ve been doing. Just playing our game and then forcing the defense to have to stop it.”
He also noted the team’s reliance on talent and shooting. “We have a talented basketball team and we might rely on it too much sometimes. Our talent bails us out often, but it’s shots,” Wembanyama explained. He stressed the need to impact the game beyond scoring, especially on days when shots aren’t falling.
The Spurs enter the contest at 31-15, holding second place in the Western Conference. They are missing Harrison Ingram, David Jones Garcia, and Stanley Umude due to G League assignments, while Jeremy Sochan is listed as questionable with left quad soreness. San Antonio is looking to rebound after a loss to New Orleans, having previously topped the Utah Jazz 126-109.
Houston, meanwhile, is 28-16 and sits fourth in the conference, riding a two-game winning streak. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson are expected to lead the Rockets in the absence of Steven Adams, sidelined with a left ankle sprain, and Fred VanVleet, out after right knee ACL surgery.
This matchup marks the third meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Spurs winning 121-110 on November 7 and the Rockets claiming a 111-106 victory on January 20. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, averaging 24.2 points and 20.2 points respectively, will look to challenge Houston’s Durant, Sengun, and Thompson, who collectively average over 66 points per game.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at the Toyota Center, with both teams seeking a statement win in the Western Conference race.
