By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama sat in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park on Sunday and drew the statue of 19th-century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth.
Turns out, it was the perfect mind-clearing activity that helped him shake off his miss at the buzzer in Game 2 and take over Game 3 of the NBA Finals, preventing the San Antonio Spurs from getting pushed to the brink of elimination.
“I really tried to relax,” Wembanyama said. “The playoffs is like a whirlwind. It’s hard to put your head out of the water, and sometimes it’s like I don’t even (have) to watch the game back, by the way. I just need a little time off, let my brain cool down and recover — recover as much for the body as for the mind.”
Wembanyama made the first two shots he attempted on Monday night on the way to scoring 32 points in a 115-111 victory over the New York Knicks. He had nine points in the first five minutes, including an alley-oop on the first basket of the game and a dunk on the next possession.
Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson said getting the ball to Wembanyama inside was not a strategy different from any other game.
“We never told Victor don’t shoot an open 3-point shot, even if it’s early in the game,” Johnson said. “We wanted to put pressure on the paint and the rim.”
Wembanyama was a force on both ends of the court, especially late when it mattered most.
After delivering the pass to Keldon Johnson for his layup that tied the score at 76 with 5:38 left in the third, Wembanyama hit a 3-pointer from 29 feet out to put the Spurs ahead. He scored the first basket of what turned into a dominant fourth quarter, including six free throws.
“Wemby played great,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “He had probably seven lob dunks because we didn’t follow attention to detail and try to take that away.”
With four minutes left and the Knicks looking to stage another comeback, the 7-foot-4 big man from France surged to block what looked to be an easy layup by Landry Shamet.
Wembanyama finished with eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks in what was close to a must-win situation. No team has fallen behind 3-0 in the finals and come back to win the series.
“I don’t think any of us are surprised or expect anything different than a strong performance and him being on his front foot in terms of being in attack mode,” Mitch Johnson said.
Teammates were not at all worried about Wembanyama in the aftermath of the 22-year-old star clanking a shot off the rim that would have been the Game 2 winner. Johnson said his recommendation was to shoot again, and he it made clear the Spurs want the ball in Wembanyama’s hands at important moments.
Before the game, Brown said of containing Wembanyama, “You hope you can make him work at the end of the day, and you hope he misses some shots.”
Wembanyama missed seven shots from the floor, going 11 of 18 and silencing the crowd that at one point directed a vulgar chant his way. Asked if he was becoming the latest New York villain, he quipped: “I guess. I’m nowhere near Trae Young level, though.”
He could surpass the longtime Atlanta Hawks and now-Washington Wizards guard as soon as Game 4 on Wednesday, when Wembanyama gets the chance to help the Spurs try to even the series in Game 4 back at Madison Square Garden.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA