Oct 23, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) blocks the final shot attempt by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) at the end of the game at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) blocks the final shot attempt by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) at the end of the game at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs suffered a nail-biting loss to the Houston Rockets in their second game of the season tonight after Amen Thompson blocked a last-second layup by the French star at the rim.
The Spurs lost 110-114 after coming back to tie from what was once an 11-point Rockets lead. After the game, Victor Wembanyama spoke to the media and reflected on the team’s loss tonight.
“Of course. I think we showed a better face,” Wembanyama said when asked about whether the team was overthinking tonight. “We need to stop getting down on teams … Getting down double digits. And we made some mistakes that were very costly. This is our problem.”
“We work hard. We work hard for a time, and then we blow away what we have. But it was better,” he further added.
Victor Wembanyama also admitted he would have done something differently on the final play if he’d had the chance.
“Yeah, I would have dunked,” the 22-year-old Wembanyama said.
AMEN THOMPSON. GAME-SEALING BLOCK. https://t.co/UiHCEGs2ps
— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2026
Wembanyama finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. He shot 9-for-21 from the field (42.9% FG) and 2-for-6 from the three-point line (33.3% 3P).
The French star elaborated, saying that allowing the Rockets’ offensive rebounds was one of the costly mistakes he meant. So it wasn’t just Thompson’s game-saving block that caused the Spurs trouble tonight.
Amen Thompson finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. He shot 9-for-15 from the field (60.0% FG) and 1-for-2 from three-point range (50.0% 3P).
The Rockets grabbed eight offensive rebounds in this game; three came from Amen Thompson. So it was not just activity around the rim on the defensive end that won Houston this game. But Wembanyama failed to account for the Spurs’ nine offensive rebounds, so it wasn’t just the second-chance points that hurt them.
The loss will sting for the Spurs, especially after fighting their way back into the game. Wembanyama and his teammates showed they could hang with the Rockets, but their mistakes ultimately caught up with them.
Thompson’s block will grab the headlines, but Houston also did plenty of damage on the offensive glass. Wembanyama knows he could have handled the final play differently, but one missed opportunity wasn’t the only reason the Spurs lost.
The San Antonio Spurs will need to clean up these mistakes quickly if they want a better result next time. The two teams will meet three more times this season, with the next matchup in January 2027.
San Antonio has gotten off to a bad start (0-2) and will look to turn things around. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Victor Wembanyama makes as these two sides meet three more times this season.