Trailing by 17 points eight minutes from the end of the match against the Blazers, the Spurs signed the perfect hold-up, thanks in particular to a 4 out of 4 on free throws from Victor Wembanyama in the last minute. Author of 28 points, the Frenchman did not tremble when attacking Rayan Rupert's partners.
“It comes with repetition”explains “Wemby”. “I shot thousands of free throws for many years, and that's what I think about when I'm on the court. This is what my body feels like. He feels the repetition. It's muscle memory. »
Balance and composure
A “muscle memory” which allows him to display a superb 87% on free throws this season. It's rare for a pivot to be so effective behind the line, and despite his big arms and big hands, Victor Wembanyama shows superb touch.
“His balance, his physique, his composure, his fundamentals… All these things play a role”underlines Mitch Johnson. “Going to the free throw line more often will be an aspect of his game that we continue to develop, and when he does, he will be that much more difficult to defend. »
For the Spurs, and even if the Blazers remain a bottom-of-the-table team, this is a benchmark victory. Because there were still many absentees (Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones), but also because they played a large part of the match without Chris Paul, expelled for two technical fouls.
“A year ago I don’t think we would have survived this, and Chris plays a big part in that.” believes Victor Wembanyamaabout the team's progress. “I also have to recognize that it comes from the maturity that everyone has acquired, and that showed tonight. »
