In what easily could have been an NBA Finals preview between two of the best teams in the league, the San Antonio Spurs rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit for a 134-132 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
But as thrilling as the win was, the postgame focus was on the health of Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs superstar left the game with 10:32 remaining with a hyperextended left knee.
“I have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but I saw what everybody else saw,” said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson. “There’s a visual there, but he finished the game on the bench with his teammates so that made me feel good. I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and finish the game with his teammates.”
Wembanyama said he was sore after the game, but “very confident” he won’t have to miss any time with the injury. Still, given how important Wembanyama is to the future of the Spurs, the team is being cautious with their superstar. He will sit out when San Antonio travels to face the Indiana Pacers on Friday due to what is labeled as left knee soreness.
Even without Wembanyama on Friday, the Spurs will look to build off Wednesday’s momentum.
The Spurs trailed the Knicks by 10 at the half and by nine heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored New York 41-30 in the final 12 minutes to close out a much-needed home win and snap a two-game losing streak.
“I thought we were not very good for a lot of stretches in the first half and the competitive response and the energy we were putting as the game went on into the right areas, we felt it,” Johnson said. “I was extremely proud of guys who stepped up tonight, especially those guys in the fourth quarter.”
Nobody stepped up more than Julian Champagnie, who set a franchise record with 11 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 36 points. The fourth-year pro took all 17 of his shots beyond the 3-point arc and converted five more than he ever had before.
“I think we’ve been there before when it comes to a guy going down and someone having to step up and figure things out,” Champagnie said. “For us (Wednesday), it was one of those things where we dropped two at home, Utah and Cleveland, but we want to protect our home court.”
The Pacers, on the other hand, are trying desperately to find answers in what has been a challenging season. Indiana has battled injuries all year and comes into Friday’s game on a 10-game losing streak, including a 112-110 defeat against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. They enter 2026 with the worst record (6-28) in the league.
“The real question should be why did we give up 68 points in the first half and only 44 in the second half?” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “And that’s because in the second half, we played like a together team that was supporting each other and not like strangers. That’s how this has got to be. We’re having too much pity nonsense going on during games that needs to go away.”
–Field Level Media
