How Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama performed in his return

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 111-109 thriller Saturday night to advance to the NBA Cup Final.

But perhaps biggest news for the Spurs on Saturday was the return of star forward Victor Wembanyama, who missed the past 12 games due to a soft tissue injury. In 21 minutes off the bench, Wembanyama posted 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists. He shot 6/11 from the field and was a team-high +21.

It was the first game for Wembanyama since a 109-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 14. He’s appeared in just 12 of the team’s 24 games this year.

Wembanyama showed plenty of burst and athleticism while playing on a minutes restriction. He met Thunder forward Chet Holmgren in the air for a block early in the fourth quarter.

Wembanyama’s averaging 25.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.5 blocks per night this season. He’ll be the clear favorite for Defensive Player of the Year if he meets the 65-game threshold required by the league for award consideration.

The third-year pro has dealt with injuries throughout his NBA career. After receiving his first All-Star nod last season, he missed the remainer of the year due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

San Antonio (18-7) moves into fourth place in the Western Conference, 5.5 games behind the Thunder (24-2). The Spurs will look to win the franchise’s first NBA Cup title Tuesday night against the New York Knicks.