San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama says there’s no need for heroics as the Spurs aim to battle back from a deflating loss to the New York Knicks in the opening game of the NBA Finals.
The Spurs squandered a 14-point second-half lead on their home floor to drop game one.
But Wembanyama insisted that they could turn things around in the best-of-seven series simply by getting back to their “normal” game.
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“Really I think the reason we lost that game isn’t even technical,” Wembanyama said.
“We need to approach the game with a better mental state.
“We just need to play our game. We just need to be normal. We don’t need to do anything incredible.”
New York Knicks centre Karl-Anthony Towns shoots past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama. AP Photo/Eric Gay
New York Knicks centre Karl-Anthony Towns shoots past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama. AP Photo/Eric GaySource: AP
Elsewhere, a fan who crashed the court in San Antonio in a bid to take a selfie with Wembanyama during game one of the NBA Finals has been banned for life from all league arenas, an NBA spokesperson said.
“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas,” the spokesperson said.
“A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident,” the spokesperson added.
The fan ran onto the court holding up a cellphone, stopping in front of a bemused Wembanyama and Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson before security guards pushed him away then hustled him off the court.
Another fan accused of verbally harassing Jalen Brunson has been banned from sitting courtside for the remainder of the Finals, reports the New York Post.
The league investigated the male fan after he allegedly heckled Brunson with profanities during Game 1 of the NBA Final. Brunson was so upset following the Knicks victory he was held back from approaching the fan by teammate Jose Alvarado and referee Scott Foster.
“The fan was not a season ticket holder and if he were to attend another game in this series, he would not be permitted to sit in courtside seats,” the league spokesman said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend game three of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, saying he accepted an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan.
“The answer is yes,” Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked if would attend.
“He’s invited me, I’m going.”
Game 2 of the NBA Finals series commences in San Antonio on Saturday at 10.30am AEST.
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