Where Was Wembanyama? In Spurs' Loss to Thunder, 7-Foot Frenchman Nowhere to be Found

The San Antonio Spurs relied on their power game and scored well up front with the exception of Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who lost his battle with Chet Holmgren.

Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

When Victor Wembanyama is held to 1-for-5 shooting from the field, the San Antonio Spurs do not win the game.

Granted, it's only happened once — Wembanyama finished with a career-low six points against the Oklahoma City Thunder — but such was the case Wednesday night.

The Thunder defeated the Spurs 105-93, taking advantage of Wembanyama's shortcomings as he was dominated by fellow second-year big man Chet Holmgren.

READ MORE: Spurs' Offense Stumbles, Wembanyama Struggles in Thunder Loss

Holmgren scored 19 points and grabbed five defensive rebounds. He had his way with Wembanyama the entire night, though the Spurs' young star did manage to pull down eight rebounds and notch three blocks.

He just could never get going offensively.

"I have no concerns about Victor," Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said. "His mind is right. He is focused. I have no concerns about Victor whatsoever."

The Spurs were getting good looks from their bigs, but Wembanyama was one of them. Barnes, meanwhile, scored 18 points and Jeremy Sochan tallied 17 points while grabbing nine rebounds.

Sandro Mamukelashvili even chimed in with 15 points off the bench in just under eight minutes of action.

"It's ball movement and player movement at the end of the day," Barnes said. "If we are not moving the ball or moving bodies, it's going to be a long night."

Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) works to steal the ball from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) after he fell to the floor during the second half at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Veteran point guard Chris Paul added 14 points while dishing out nine assists.

The Spurs were beaten badly on the fast break. They lost the game in transition. The Thunder scored 29 points in transition while the Spurs were limited to 14. They proved they could not run with the Thunder, which — combined with turnovers — hurt them badly.

Further, San Antonio was completed manhandled in the first half. For the second game in a row, it could not play together for 48 minutes. That was a heavy emphasis for Popovich, and for good reason.

Wembanyama was missing in action and the Spurs couldn't put together a full game.

READ MORE: Chris Paul Receives Standing Ovation in OKC

"You have to bring it every quarter, every possession, every game," the coach said. "We've got more work to do."

Next up for San Antonio is the second half of a back-to-back, where it'll look to get back in the win column on Halloween night against the Utah Jazz.

Tipoff from Salt Lake City is set for 8 p.m. Central.

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