With 6.4 seconds remaining in a game they trailed by a point to the Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs put the ball in the hands of De'Aaron Fox. The 2023 NBA Clutch Player of the Year took the ball behind the half-court line. After a screen from reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, and with Victor Wembanyama in the paint pointing up to suggest a lob, Fox took a step back jumper from the left elbow extended over Gary Payton II.
The shot hit the front of the rim from Fox's viewpoint. The buzzer sounded tenths of a second later, cementing a second straight loss to Golden State.
Given his position on the other side of the rim from where Fox released the potential game-winner, Wemby was asked if his former All-Star teammate's shot looked like it was going through the net.
“I don't know,” he answered, before clarifying.
“No.”
Wembanyama, who led the Silver and Black with 26 points, then offered more insight from his vantage point.
“I was going for the rebound,” Wemby noted. “I was in good position for a rebound, but it went the other way.”
Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half at Frost Bank Center
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama details final play in loss to Warriors
Asked how he saw the final play develop, Wemby confirmed what many assumed.
“For the intricacies of it, we need to see the clip again, but we had two options that play,” Wembanyama said, verifying that he was in the mix to get the ball on that final possession.
“We went for one of them. De'Aaron and myself were on the opposite sides of the court.”
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The 7-foot-5 center gave a nod to the play head coach Mitch Johnson drew up, though in the moment, he was uncertain as to how the other Spurs executed.
“For the others (teammates on the court), I need to see, to re-watch it to see how we were placed, but I think it (the play) put the defense in a tough spot.”
In terms of whether Wemby was fine with Fox's fade-away attempt, the answer proved pretty definitive.
“We trust De'Aaron with those kind of shots. History has proven he's more than capable of making things happen this way in a game. I know the team trusts me as well to take a final shot.”
In the end, the Spurs' leading scorer turned to other factors as to why his team suffered the 109-108 loss to Golden State.
“We can turn that play (replay) in our heads again,” Wemby said. “That is not the reason we lost the game.”
“Being more disruptive,” is how Wembanyama responded when asked for the main reason his team came up short. “I see Curry went 16 for 26, 9 for 17 from three, so that says a lot. We didn't take away what we should have.”
Curry put up 49 points a game after dropping 46 in a win at the same Frost Bank Center two nights earlier. That, the 2023 first overall draft pick insisted, proved the bigger difference, even in a game that San Antonio could've won at the buzzer.