Victor Wembanyama played down his status as New York's newest villain, saying Trae Young still holds that title after his memorable playoff battles with the Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama pushed back against the idea that he has become New York's newest villain after leading his team to a Game 3 win over the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Wembanyama believes that title still belongs to Trae Young, who built a memorable rivalry with the Madison Square Garden crowd during his playoff battles with the Knicks as a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
"I guess, but I am nowhere near Trae Young's level, though," Wembanyama said after Game 3.
Wembanyama's huge performance in Game 3
The Spurs rose to the occasion in Game 3, defeating the New York Knicks 115-111 at Madison Square Garden.
After dropping the first two games of the series at home in San Antonio, the Spurs responded with a much-needed road win to cut the deficit in the NBA Finals.
Wembanyama was at the center of the comeback. After his costly late turnover helped decide Game 2, the French superstar bounced back with a dominant all-around performance.
He finished Game 3 with 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, adding eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals in 39 minutes.
With the win, San Antonio cut New York's series lead to 2-1 and kept itself alive in the championship battle.
Game 4 will also take place at MSG on Wednesday night, giving the Spurs another chance to even the series before it shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5.
For Wembanyama, the challenge will be to build on his Game 3 response while dealing with another hostile New York crowd.
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