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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama sets record straight on budding Thunder rivalry
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- Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama sets record straight on budding Thunder rivalry
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama sets record straight on budding Thunder rivalry appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
While NBA fans are eager to call the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder the league's new big rivalry, Victor Wembanyama is telling everyone to pump the brakes. Wembanyama and the Spurs' win against the Thunder snapped a historic 16-game win streak in the NBA Cup semifinals. They handed the defending champions only their second loss of the season.
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Wembanyama says it's still early for the 18-7 Spurs, who improved to the fifth-best record in the Western Conference, to be considered a threat to the Thunder, he explained, per ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
"I think we're not quite there yet… it's not like we are the second seed right now," Wembanyama said. "They're in their own tier, but in the future, if we reach that level, it would be great to have a rivalry."
Wembanyama and the up-and-coming Spurs have arrived earlier than most anticipated, as their first and second-year guards — Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper — are showing exponential growth this season. Led by veteran guards such as starter De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell , and Keldon Johnson , the Spurs' dynamic two-way approach can keep up with the defending champions.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs beat Thunder in NBA Cup semifinal
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama knows the significance of beating the Thunder, but he knows his team is far from reaching its full potential this season. For Wembanyama, he's hoping Saturday's NBA Cup win against the Thunder is just the beginning of the Spurs' surge toward the upper echelon of the Western Conference standings.
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"I think it's our first time playing everybody," Victor Wembanyama said after the Spurs' win over the Thunder. "My thoughts are just that we're already a solid team, already more than 20 games ago. It's just experience. We're just figuring it out. The difference with us and this team who is, I don't know, what are they 24-2? It's that we haven't had this many reps, recognizing what it takes and enjoying what it takes to win.
"This is our next step. Because this OKC team, they're not just first in the league, they're way ahead of everybody. Because when you watch them, no matter who, whether it's the 12th man or the starting five, whether they're playing against the 15th seed or in any kind of game, they're playing the same way. They're enjoying the little things that make them win, and this is the next step we have to pass," Wembanyama concluded.
The Spurs will face the Knicks in the NBA Cup finals on Tuesday.
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