Victor Wembanyama Says Game Feels Fast Amid Spurs’ Loss to Lakers
After a strong start to the season, Victor Wembanyama experienced another tough night as the San Antonio Spurs fell 118–116 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. It was the team’s second consecutive defeat, and Wembanyama admitted the pace of the game feels intense at the moment.
“The game feels fast right now,” Wembanyama said. “Personally, I haven’t seen this kind of defense from teams, so we need to adapt as a collective. In the Phoenix game, it was the case as well. We’re learning.”
He explained that the Lakers' aggressive defensive strategy, especially the frequent double-teams, disrupted his rhythm.
“Mostly, it was the doubling,” he said. “They probably walked through all our situations in shootaround because it seemed like they were well prepared. It felt like they let me catch the ball, but they were ready to double and rotate right after.”
The Lakers held him to 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting, along with eight rebounds and five turnovers over 33 minutes. Wembanyama fouled out with under two minutes left as the Spurs trailed 113–112. Despite a last-second chance, Julian Champagnie missed two free throws that would have tied the game, sealing the victory for Los Angeles.
Author’s Summary
Wembanyama acknowledged NBA defenses are adapting quickly to his style after a narrow Spurs loss to the Lakers, calling the game pace unusually fast.