The San Antonio Spurs welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder to town on Wednesday night. Chet Holmgren was in town to take on fellow rookie Victor Wembanyama. Both big men are top candidates to win the Rookie of the Year award, but this game was more than just a one-on-one matchup.
Oklahoma City walked away with a 140-114 win, as they are a much more competitive basketball team this season. However, Wembanyama still put up a solid showing, attempting to lead his team to victory. It just wasn’t enough, as the Spurs were feeling the loss of a key player in the starting lineup.
After the game, Wembanyama spoke about how much the Spurs missed Tre Jones, who missed the game with an ankle issue.
“We felt [Jones’ absence] with the lack sometimes of organization,” Wembanyama said via ESPN. “His expertise is precious. I could feel especially in the second half, third quarter that we needed him, but it happens in a season.”
Wembanyama finished the game with 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four blocks while shooting 9-of-18 from the floor and 0-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
With Jones out, Devin Vassell and Blake Wesley handled most of the team’s playmaking duties, finishing the night with seven and six assists, respectively.
Jones has been extremely important to the Spurs’ success this season, running the offense at a high level and helping Wembanyama get into his best spots.
As the season rolls on, Jones’ return should give the Spurs a nice offensive boost whenever he comes back.
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