Victor Wembanyama took a page out of Gregg Popovich’s playbook following the thumping 133-95 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2.

Spurs' playoffs readiness was questioned after a narrow two-point defeat in Game 1. But they flipped the script in Game 2 by registering their biggest win since 2003. Following the win, reflected on the philosophy established by Gregg Popovich.

When the reporters asked his approach for Game 3, Wemby stuck to humility and said, “We try to keep the same approach, and we are gonna watch film cause as Pop says, 'When you win, you're never as good as you think you are, and when you lose, you're never as bad.' So obviously  stay humble and keep working.”

That response was an extension of the culture that Gregg Popovich built during his tenure. It was centered on selfless, egoless basketball. For instance, once he carried a similar philosophy to Team USA basketball.

In 2019, the USA side suffered a loss against Australia, leaving the basketball community surprised. Rather than reacting, Coach Popovich simply said, “You can learn as much or more from losing as winning.”

Just like that, instead of letting the Game 1 loss ‌affect their momentum, the Spurs team under Mitch Johnson bounced back.

Victor Wembanyama leads from the front

Following his record-breaking 12-block outing in Game 1, Wembanyama anchored the Spurs with yet another all-around performance. He recorded 19 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double in Game 2.

However, he credited the team’s collective effort for the win. “I loved how everyone had everybody’s back (defensively),” Wembanyama said in the post-match press conference. “Tonight looked like a system that worked.”

Now, as the series moves to Minnesota for Game 3 on Saturday, it would be interesting to see if Wembanyama and the Spurs can keep their cool and deliver under pressure.

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Written by

Shahul Hameed

Edited by

Koushik Biswas