Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Reveals Difference in Win vs. Thunder

Victor Wembanyama spoke after the San Antonio Spurs' win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 1, 2024

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The San Antonio Spurs are waking up with smiles on their faces because they are sleeping in their own beds and celebrating a 132-118 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder led with less than eight minutes to go, but the Spurs didn't panic and played team basketball en route to victory.

Victor Wembanyama Thunder — Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

“The difference was the 39 assists," rookie Victor Wembanyama said. "I think that was a big difference. This makes a difference in big games. Also, not turning the ball over in the fourth quarter. We just played with heart, and I think it’s one of the best ways to come back home after a month away.”

The Spurs are one of the best in the NBA when it comes to assists, coming together for 29.7 per game. Only the Indiana Pacers have more with 31.0. While that doesn't exactly translate to a win every game, it certainly mattered against the Thunder.

The Spurs also committed just 11 turnovers, which is four fewer than their season average. The Thunder managed to score just 13 points off turnovers, while the Spurs scored 28 ... that's a massive difference in a 14-point game.

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The Spurs' win proved that they are capable of beating some of the best teams in the NBA, but the consistency is what's lacking. Once that comes into fruition, things will begin to look up for the Spurs.

San Antonio is back in action on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Published Mar 1, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.