The NBA Finals always find a way to expose cracks in a team, and this year is no exception. Watching a lead slip away in Game 4 left everyone wondering how things went wrong for the Spurs.

On June 11, 2026, an episode of What’s Wright? With Nick Wright, the discussion focused on Victor Wembanyama's performance.

“The guy who supposed to be the best player in the world, and in the 2nd half of that game, after trash talking and what the kids would call aura farming, and letting everyone know how in their head he was,” Wright said.

Wright pointed to the star's behavior on the court before the game turned around. The first half had been a different story, with San Antonio dominating and leading 76-49 at halftime. 

The confidence from the first half did not translate into points after the break. San Antonio managed to score only 30 total points in the 2nd half.

“He went 3 for 14, looked absolutely winded,” Wright added.

The contrast became even more noticeable when looking at how the youngest players on the court handled the pressure. 

“In a 4th quarter where Stephon Castle, who’s younger than him, went 8 for 8 from the free throw line, and Dylan Harper, who’s younger than him, went 2 for 2 from the free throw line,” Wright continued.

The turning point came down to execution in the final moments of the game. Missing free throws when protecting a slim lead leaves no room for error in a Finals game.

“He went 1 for 4, including 2 misses in the final hundred seconds up 1 of a finals game,” Wright said.

The two straight misses gave New York the opportunity they needed, leading to OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.

While turnovers and coaching decisions played a role, the discussion remains on how the team's leader performs when everything is on the line.

Victor Wembanyama Owned Part of the Loss

In the postgame press conference, Wembanyama admitted, “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”

During the 2025-26 regular season, he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks over 64 games. That brilliant performance carried them through a 20-game playoff run to the Finals.

The Finals have shown an inconsistent pattern from game to game. He struggled with efficiency in a Game 1 loss and missed a potential buzzer-beater in Game 2. He bounced back with a 32-point night in the Game 3 victory. 

Game 4 showed that while the raw numbers like rebounds and blocks are still there, the late-game execution has become a major issue against New York's physical defense.

Everything comes down to a single game on June 13, 2026. The team has no room left for mistakes. 

Did the blame belong to the coaching staff, or do you agree with the criticism of the star player?

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles! 

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore