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Victor Wembanyama leads Spurs to worst NBA playoff mark in 70 years vs Knicks
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- Victor Wembanyama leads Spurs to worst NBA playoff mark in 70 years vs Knicks
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
The New York Knicks turned Game 4 of the NBA Finals into a collapse San Antonio will struggle to forget.
The Spurs led by 29 points at Madison Square Garden last Wednesday night, but New York clawed back to win 107-106 and take a 3-1 lead in the series.
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The Knicks are now just one win from their first title since 1973.
Victor Wembanyama still finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but the box score does not reflect how far below his usual standard his night fell, as his second-half fade became part of a historic Spurs downturn.
Victor Wembanyama's second-half drop reflects Spurs collapse
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
San Antonio produced 76 points before half-time, then collapsed to just 30 after the break. Elias Sports Bureau noted that the 46-point swing matched the biggest first-half to second-half scoring drop by any NBA playoff team in 70 years.
Wembanyama was not solely responsible for the collapse, but he was central to it. He had 16 points before half-time, then just eight after, halving his production when the Spurs needed a steadying presence.
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His inaccuracy was just as damaging. Wembanyama shot 3-for-14 in the second half, hitting only two two-pointers and one three-pointer, as San Antonio's offence lost both rhythm and belief.
That is what makes the defeat so hard to process. The Spurs were really close to tying the Finals at 2-2 but ended up letting the game slip away.
Wembanyama's mentality has been praised since he entered the league. Now, with New York one win from the trophy after such a setback, his response will be under just as much scrutiny as his talent.
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