Victor Wembanyama looked different in Game 6. In every way.
There was the Shaolin robe that the San Antonio star wore to his home arena on Thursday night, an obvious nod to his two-week stay last summer at a Chinese temple he visited while seeking physical, mental and spiritual growth. There was the freshly cropped hair, another sign that he was all business.
And on the court, he was back to his dominant self as well.
Facing an elimination game for the first time in his career, Wembanyama — who had a fiery pregame address for teammates, something he doesn’t typically do — seemed as comfortable as could be. He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists, on 10-for-21 shooting in 28 minutes, leading the Spurs past the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 to tie the Western Conference finals at 3-3.
Game 7 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City, the place where Wembanyama started this West title series with a 41-point, 24-rebound masterpiece that carried the Spurs to a double-overtime win. If he gets another win on Saturday, he and the Spurs will be heading to the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
From the outset, Wembanyama’s imprint was on Game 6. After winning the opening tip-off, his next three plays went like this — made 3-pointer, blocked shot, another made 3-pointer. The tone was set, and the Spurs never trailed.
He got most of the fourth quarter off, with the game having long been decided. Game 6 wasn’t over, but it’s a safe bet that Wembanyama was already thinking about Game 7. Harrison Barnes, the team’s third-oldest player, was in Wembanyama’s ear during the fourth quarter on the Spurs’ bench, offering some wisdom. He spoke. Wembanyama nodded. Whatever the message was, it was clear.
The formula for this series held true again Thursday. When Wembanyama is the most dominant player, the Spurs have won. When he isn’t, they’ve lost. Good hasn’t been good enough — in the three Spurs losses, he’s averaged 22.3 points on 43% shooting. In the three Spurs wins, he’s averaged 34 points on 51% shooting.
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