Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Still Looking To Turn Close Calls Into Victories

Those who tuned in for the early Christmas showdown between the Spurs and Knicks got a front-row seat to one of the most dominant performances you’ll ever see on the NBA holiday stage — even though the Knicks ultimately walked away with a 128-125 victory.

Victor Wembanyama was a force of nature, finishing with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks in 40 minutes of play. The numbers alone are mind-boggling. In fact, no player had ever turned in a stat line like that on Christmas Day.

Wembanyama also came within striking distance of Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary 45-point mark for a Christmas debut. But despite the eye-popping individual effort, the 19-year-old was far more focused on the result than the historical significance of his performance.

“It’s not my first thought at all,” Wembanyama said postgame when asked about his place in Christmas history. “I don’t even know the real history by heart of the best Christmas games in history.

“I’m thinking about the game right now and just thinking we’re close, but we lack some attributes at times. You know, we’re right there. It was a really disputed game.”

It’s a testament to Wembanyama’s maturity that, despite an effort few players could replicate, his focus remained on the team’s progress. The Spurs had a shot to win in the final minutes but came up short, something that’s becoming all too familiar for this young squad.

San Antonio is still learning how to close out games in crunch time, which has been a key reason why they’ve hovered around .500 after a promising start to the season.

“We’re right there,” Wembanyama said. “But we need to learn how to execute better in those moments.”

As the Spurs continue to grow, their veteran leader Chris Paul knows they’re on the cusp of something special — but also understands they still have plenty of room to mature.

“For us, the next step is winning those games,” Paul said, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We got to get to that point where all that ‘young guy stuff’ got to go out the window.

“We pros just like everybody else, and there’s a grit and a will that you got to have in this league in order to figure out ways to win those games, especially on the road when we are the only ones that’s cheering for us.”

Paul, who has been instrumental in mentoring the Spurs’ young core, knows that growth won’t come overnight. But he also knows that winning those tight games — especially on the road — is how you build a winning culture in the NBA.

So, while Wembanyama’s numbers were historic and mind-blowing, the message from San Antonio is clear: It’s all about figuring out how to win in those key moments.

Until the Spurs can execute when the game is on the line, the promise of their potential will remain just that — potential. The young stars are there, but as Paul wisely puts it, it’s time to shed the “young guy stuff” and start turning those “close calls” into wins.

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