Victory Wembanyama sank a go-ahead fadeaway over Oso Ighodaro with 1.1 seconds remaining to seal the San Antonio Spurs’ 101-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns and clinch San Antonio’s spot in the NBA playoffs.
“We know it’s not going to be an open shot most of the time,” Wembanyama said after the game, via ESPN. “In this situation, you want to wait. If you take a shot too early, whether you make or miss it, you’re shooting yourself in the foot because the defense would probably get the rebound and have time or inbound and have time.
“So, you want to shoot it as close to one or two seconds [remaining]. This way, we have a chance to get an offensive rebound if we miss and if we make [it], they don’t have time.”
Wembanyama finished with 34 points, adding 12 rebounds and three steals. The Frenchman bumped into a fan, spilling wine, after the shot as he scrambled to get back on defense.
“It was hard to take in all the stimulus around me,” Wembanyama said. “I had the fans looking at me. I had this guy spill wine on me. There was a lot going on. I didn’t see all my teammates come up for a second, so I felt like I was getting mobbed.”
This will be San Antonio’s first playoff appearance in six years.
“I’m happy for the city, the community, and the organization,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “To be a part of that process is rewarding.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.