Spurs return to playoffs courtesy of Victor Wembanyama game-winner

Victor Wembanyama waited his moment Thursday night. Then he delivered it.

Wembanyama buried a 17-foot fadeaway with 1.1 seconds left, lifting the Spurs to a 101-100 home win over the Suns and into the postseason for the first time since 2019.

“We know it’s not going to be an open shot most of the time,” Wembanyama said, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “You want to shoot it as close to one or two seconds [remaining]. This way … they don’t have time.”

Wembanyama finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds, shaking off five previous misses on go-ahead shots in the final seconds earlier in his career. This time, he stayed patient, got to his spot and closed it.

“Yeah, we had our play drawn up,” said Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox. “He took his time. He got to a spot. He hit the game winner.”

San Antonio trailed most of the night but never lost control, closing on a late push to seal it. The Spurs have now won 20 of 22 since Feb. 1 and ended the longest playoff drought in franchise history.

As Keldon Johnson said afterward, grabbing the mic, “He deserves his flowers … Victor Wembanyama, MVP.”