It's Wemby time - Frenchman’s show for the Spurs’ victory over Boston

Since returning from injury, Victor Wembanyama has once again become a nightmare for every team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics tried to target the French center, and Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard had some success early on, but in the end they were met with a brutal response.

When the game was on the line and the stakes were highest, Frenchman took over, knocking down two extremely difficult shots to seal the win. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Boston Celtics 100–95. Wembanyama has yet to return to the starting lineup as he remains on a minutes restriction to avoid any setback, but he is on the floor when it matters most — especially in the closing stages.

Early in the game, it looked as though Jaylen Brown was deliberately trying to pull Wembanyama out to the perimeter and attack him one-on-one. The third-ranked player in the MVP race behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — recognition he has finally earned for his elite performances — isolated, he scored twice and scored both times with superb dribbling moves over the towering Frenchman.

Brown wasn’t the only one to have success, as Payton Pritchard also put Spurs in difficult situations. He drew him out to the top of the key, beat him off the dribble with ease and finished at the rim, a sequence that summed up Boston’s strong play. The Celtics held a five-point lead after the first quarter and again at halftime, although the Spurs trimmed the deficit to a single possession heading into the final period.

San Antonio opened the fourth quarter with a 5–0 run, sparked by a Wembanyama block followed by a dunk, to take the lead. What followed was a tense back-and-forth battle down the stretch. Luke Kornet and Wembanyama shared the floor as the Spurs exploited matchups against Neemias Queta, then Luka Garza, before again going at the Portuguese center, capped off with a three-pointer.

Keldon Johnson drained a three to give the visitors a two-point edge, Brown responded to tie the game, and Wembanyama then hit a long two-pointer to put San Antonio back in front. Brown missed and then turned the ball over, which Julian Champagnie punished by scoring off an offensive rebound to make it a four-point game with exactly 40 seconds remaining.

Derrick White converted two free throws to cut the deficit to two, but Wembanyama had the final say. He nailed another long two to restore a four-point cushion and effectively decide the contest in Boston. Luke Kornet later added a free throw with seven seconds left to make it a five-point margin and put the game to bed.

In the end, Spurs hero finished with 21 points, six rebounds and three blocks. De’Aaron Fox also scored 21 points, adding nine rebounds and six assists, while Keldon Johnson recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds. Julian Champagnie contributed 12 points and 13 boards.

For Boston, Derrick White led the way with 29 points and nine rebounds, Jaylen Brown posted 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Luka Garza had 11 points, Baylor Scheierman 10, and Neemias Queta nine points and 13 rebounds.