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Game 3 was a statement win for the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama looked like his MVP candidate self once again and the New York Knicks were struggling to keep up. A lot of people may think that there was just a random switch that clicked in the head of the superstar but it took way more than that. De'Aaron Fox saw his teammate's hardships and outlined what prompted this emotional bounce back to get the NBA Finals series to 2-1.
Spurs' Fox reveals how Wembanyama had an emotional bounce back vs. Knicks
The disparity between Victor Wembanyama's performance in Games 2 and 3 were stark. In their 105-104 loss to the Knicks, the Spurs superstar was hounded by Knicks defenders which caused him to turn the ball over four times and shoot at a mere 52.4% clip from the field. When contrasted to his Game 3 performance, the big man was the one who toyed with his opponents as he only turned the ball over once and notched a 61.1% field goal percentage.
This turnaround was not at all the most easy thing to execute for Wembanyama. His Spurs teammates saw how determined he was to get back into this NBA Finals series and steal a win at Madison Square Garden. De'Aaron Fox was one of the people who observed the Spurs big man the most. He outlined how most of the change was just having more disciplined movement and emotions against the Knicks, via Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
"I would say it’s the way that everybody would think a great player would react. Obviously, he was upset with himself. It’s not even, like I said, about the missed shots. He would get on himself more about the turnover at the end of the game. Those things happen. There was definitely no inkling that I thought he wouldn’t come out here and respond the way that he did," Fox said about Wembanyama.
True enough, the discipline and mental shift in Wembanyama bore fruit. The Spurs were able to win 115-111 over the Knicks despite a late-game surge from Jalen Brunson. Wembanyama finished the game with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals. He just needs to maintain the same composure. If he does so, he will generate three more wins and help the Spurs triumph against the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
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