Despite his best efforts in the fourth quarter, Victor Wembanyama was on the losing end in his NBA debut Wednesday night.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each hit clutch late 3-pointers for the Dallas Mavericks as they held on for a 126-119 win over Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
"As I said before, we're learning. It's only our first regular-season game together," Wembanyama said. "We're going to watch film, and maybe this happened; but if we notice it on the film, the coaches and ourselves, the players, will [do] whatever it takes to get better."
Mavs player development coach God Shammgod is using long paddles to mimic Wembanyama's wingspan, and the Dallas players couldn't seem to get a shot off in the clip shown above.
The Mavs and Spurs face off Wednesday at Frost Bank Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has been making highlight plays in the preseason, but it was his impressive sequence in Friday's 122-117 win over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center that might take the cake.
The Spurs are hoping to beat the odds on Wednesday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. They finished last season with a 33-49 record against the spread.
The Spurs took their win against the Mavericks when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 138-117. Will the Spurs repeat their success, or do the Mavericks have a better game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Wembanyama drew the undivided attention of fans and media filling the lower bowl of the Frost Bank Center while simply practicing free throws before the Wednesday opener.
Dubbed “The Extraterrestrial” by Nike, Wembanyama has been astounding with his otherworldly play. In preseason action, he blocked 3-point shots with his 8-foot wingspan and Euro-stepped from the free throw line to the rim for a dunk in two strides without a dribble.
Wembanyama’s presence has energized San Antonio’s fanbase unlike any time in the franchise’s history.
The Spurs have won five NBA championships and had numerous stars, yet nobody has received this kind of attention.
"One of the toughest things for a player is you get into foul trouble," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "You never get in a rhythm, and you're in and out of the game and that sort of thing. So, I thought his maturity showed even at a young age where he came in with the last, I think, seven minutes and just played."
The foul trouble was uncommon for Wembanyama, who had just six fouls in 84 minutes across four games in the preseason.
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