Feb 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Feb 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs suffered a defeat in Game 2 after a thrilling win on Monday. Despite shooting better than the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, the Spurs lacked on quite a few grounds that Wembanyama shed light on later.
The Spurs entered the second quarter with the game tied at 31-31. However, since the second quarter, the game started to slip out of the guest team's hands. The Spurs had struggled with ball handling even in Game 1. But after a repetition of the same issue in Game 2, Wembanyama didn’t try to sugarcoat his team’s flaws.
"We didn't do a great job at it today,” he said about the Spurs failing to take care of the ball. "But we need some poise for sure – taking care of the ball, helping the main ball handlers, and being aggressive just like we were in the third quarter."
Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
In Game 1, the Spurs committed 21 turnovers, with 11 coming from Stephon Castle alone. It did seem like they would address the problem in Game 2, but the story didn’t change a bit.
The Spurs committed 21 turnovers against the Thunder even in Game 2, compared to their opponents' 10. The defending champions punished San Antonio, scoring 27 points off those mistakes.
In the Spurs’ defense, they are playing without De’Aaron Fox, who is their primary ball handler. They also lost Dylan Harper to a hamstring injury in Game 2, who could have shared a bit of those responsibilities.
What went wrong for Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs in Game 2?
Wembanyama showed up and recorded a fine individual performance in Game 1's win over OKC. He totaled 41 points in a double-overtime win and seemed fearless throughout all 58 minutes of the game. Wembanyama could not be stopped, and then Isaiah Hartenstein happened.
After playing just 12 minutes in Game 1, he spent double the time on court in Game 2. Hartenstein played with an aggressive physicality against the 7-ft-5 Frenchman. He held Wembanyama away from the paint, forcing him to settle for jump shots. Wembanyama attempted just 16 shots and missed 50% of them. He was limited to 21 points.
The Spurs haven't been the best at handling the ball, and they have also been beaten with multiple injuries. These two are the burning issues that they're dealing with.
The Spurs shot 49% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line. On the other hand, the Thunder shot 48% from the field and 36% from the 3-point line. However, on Wednesday, they couldn’t lift shots even when they shot better than their opponents.
Another significant factor behind the Spurs' loss was that they attempted 10 fewer field goals than the hosts.
So, do you think Wemby and Co. will be able to cover up these flaws and return to winning ways in Game 3?
Follow Air Jordan Chronicles for more
Written by
Nandjee Ranjan
Edited by
Souvik Roy