Spurs Malaki Branham's Summer League Redemption Fueled by Twitter Trolls?
LAS VEGAS — If "bashing" San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham on social media was the Spurs' haters' attempt to keep them from winning, those people will likely be re-thinking their methods after Wednesday night.
In 28 minutes against the Washington Wizards, Branham finished with a team-high 29 points on 60 percent shooting, willing San Antonio to its second Las Vegas win and once again proving his worth to the young team.
Branham's performance was on par with some of the other Summer League games he'd played in, including his 32-point showcase against the Los Angeles Lakers in Sacramento, but it contrasted greatly with his prior game.
That one went much differently. In fact, he was arguably the reason that Victor Wembanyama didn't go 2-0 in Las Vegas and why the Spurs lost to Portland.
Wembanyama silenced a number of online critics himself with a 27-point game, but the Spurs still dropped their first game of the summer, which was both surprising and not surprising at the same time.
"We hadn't been playing our best in first three quarters," Wembanyama said. "But in the fourth, we were dominating ... I think I could've done more to help my team win."
Despite taking responsibility, Wembanyama wasn't the reason for San Antonio's loss. He was the reason they even had a chance, scoring 10 points and two 3-pointers in the fourth alone to cut a 14-point deficit to just one point with two minutes to play.
Unfortunately for San Antonio, that margin didn't hold or improve. Two missed threes to close out the game — one of which was Branham's — prevented the Spurs from completing their comeback, as they fell 85-80 to the Wizards.
"Everybody was kind of bashing me on Twitter," Branham said following the Spurs' victory over the Wizards a game later. "And It's hard [to not pay attention to it] because we're on social media all the time."
Branham may have missed a crucial shot down the stretch, but it wasn't his late-game miss that sparked the online hate. That came because his miss was one of 16 total, as the 20-year-old finished the game with the same number of points as his shooting percentage: six.
Despite the horrific performance, however, Branham didn't let the negativity get to him, but rather motivate him to perform better — the way he had been doing during the Spurs' other Summer League games.
"I'm glad I read my [Twitter comments]," Branham said. "It's hard to [see], but at the same time it's funny. They don't know how much work we put in."
So, with a chip on his shoulder, Branham entered Wednesday's game looking to prove his worth, and that he did, leading the team in scoring and 3-pointers.
"I just started hitting shots," Branham said. "I wanted to go out there and play my game, so I appreciate my teammates for getting me open. We're here for a reason.
"You've got to trust your work."
Branham's mindset told the story of his redemption game, but also of the Spurs, who will now look to the returning guard as a leader for next season.
"I'm not big on words," Branham said. "I lead by example [more-so], but when I do talk, I let them know where to be. I'm just a leader, and I want to get the younger guys involved."
Getting everyone involved will be crucial next season, especially for a Spurs squad that will enter the year with one of the youngest cores in the league. It doesn't exactly spell NBA Finals, but it doesn't have to, yet. That's what makes San Antonio special. It has talent, and a coach who's lone focus is developing that talent.
The players aren't counting themselves out yet, either.
"We're always looking to win," Branham said. "We lost one, but I'm glad we bounced back [against Washington]. And as long as we keep this going, we're going to be looking for that [Summer League] championship."
Branham's bounce-back game was an encouraging sight for Spurs fans, as was Victor Wembanyama's. And if those two players are the blueprint for the entire roster, San Antonio's entire next season could be a bounce-back. That's all it can hope for.
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