NBA Finals: 'I messed up,' Wembanyama owns up after Spurs' loss

Victor Wembanyama took responsibility for the San Antonio Spurs' narrow 104-105 defeat to the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, admitting he "messed up" during the crucial final possessions. The French phenom reflected on the last three possessions, which included two missed shots and a turnover, stating, "Everything is still very blurry in my head. And that's the whole problem. I need to have more composure and control the game better."

Wembanyama acknowledged that the Spurs allowed the Knicks too much freedom, enabling them to build a significant lead. "We gave them a lot of space, we gave them the chance to build this gap. And on top of that, they made big shots..." he explained. He also noted the difficulty of facing strong opponents like Karl-Anthony Towns, emphasizing the need for the team to find solutions and improve defensively.

Despite the sting of the loss, particularly after erasing a 14-point deficit, Wembanyama remained focused on the future. "We can't change the past, we're already focused on the third game," he stated, looking ahead to the next matchup. He expressed frustration at squandering their hard work but insisted he would use the negative emotions as motivation for himself and the team.

When asked about the shift in his shot attempts between the first and second halves, Wembanyama found it difficult to answer immediately but stressed the importance of scoring in critical moments. "It was a good shot, but in moments like this, you have to shoot to score, the result matters more than the process. We have to score, I have to score, that's all." He concluded by emphasizing that while regrets are natural, the focus is now on Game 3, where the team aims to perform better collectively.