Wemby sparks comeback over KD after legends’ warning; contender cops reality check: NBA Wrap

The San Antonio Spurs have accomplished a shock comeback over the Suns in Phoenix, profitable 115-114 as Victor Wembanyama got here up massive within the fourth quarter.

Down by 13 going into the fourth time period, the Spurs rallied dwelling laborious – together with a wild sequence contained in the final 10 seconds.

Wembanyama slammed in a putback dunk in entrance of Kevin Durant earlier than Keldon Johnson stole the ball from Durant and made the go-ahead jam to place the guests up one with three seconds left.

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Durant was left visibly livid he didn’t get a foul name on Johnson’s steal, then missed on the different finish to seal the consequence. The star ahead stormed to the locker room after the ultimate buzzer.

Wembanyama, who scored eight factors together with a three-pointer and blocked two pictures within the ultimate quarter frenzy, completed with 18 factors, eight rebounds and 4 blocks.

Johnson’s 27 factors led the Spurs and Devin Vassell additionally got here up massive within the clutch, scoring 10 of his 18 factors within the fourth time period.

Durant scored a team-high 26 for Phoenix, who remained with out Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, whereas Eric Gordon (20 factors) performed properly in one other spot begin.

It got here after Spurs trailed the Suns 67-45 at half-time of Wednesday’s sport (all occasions AEDT) in what was a lopsided contest earlier than San Antonio surged dwelling with a 70-point second half.

NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley urged Wembanyama to play with extra aggression because the prodigal No. 1 draft decide adapts to creating the large soar to the foremost league.

Speaking on the important break, the NBA on TNT crew highlighted imaginative and prescient the place the 6-foot-3 Gordon pressured the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama exterior the important thing throughout an offensive play earlier than the large man misjudged a “flimsy” drive try – as put by O’Neal.

“He’s going to have to learn, him being the new kid on the block and everyone’s coming at his head, he’s going to have to be a little bit aggressive,” O’Neal stated on NBA on TNT.

“Right here – don’t ever in your life let a little man put you out. Then you come up and take this shot and then you flimsy flimsy go to the hole?

“Don’t let another skinny guy push you, they’re going to be physical with you, you have to return the favour.”

Barkley concurred, saying Wembanyama needed to be extra forthright along with his passing and use his measurement to his benefit.

“There’s two problems I had with him in the first half,” Barkley started.

“Number one, he’s really lackadaisical. You see those little passes, they might work over in the French league, they’re not going to work in the United States because the guys are too good. You’ve got to be aggressive when you make passes out of a double team.

“When they had Eric Gordon on him, just go in the lane (and attack the basket). You’re 7-foot-4, just stand there. You cannot let little guys guard you.”

The consequence noticed each groups sit at 2-2 general forward of a rematch in Phoenix on Friday.

KNICKS ROUT CAVS AS PLAYOFF REVENGE DENIED

The Knicks nonetheless personal the Cavs.

After a summer time of plotting revenge towards their playoff conquerors, the Cavaliers trotted out a depleted roster for a feeble payback try because the Knicks’ Big 4 used a balanced assault Wednesday of their 109–91 Halloween stroll at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle mixed for 72 factors and sat many of the fourth quarter due to the blowout.

The Knicks (2-2) had 5 gamers rating in double digits and led for the ultimate 39 minutes, with Randle grabbing 10 boards to notch his fourth straight double-double to begin the marketing campaign.

Donovan Mitchell returned to face his hometown squad and tried to maintain the Cavs afloat whereas dropping 26 factors on 11 of 20 capturing.

But, as former Knicks GM Scott Perry stated lately to elucidate why New York didn’t commerce for the athletic guard, Mitchell wasn’t that “singular force.”

The Knicks blew open the sport with a 17-7 run to begin the second half, and the Cavs turned again right into a pumpkin.

Mitchell’s standing was supposedly up within the air till near sport time, with the staff itemizing him as questionable due to a sore hamstring.

But he seemed completely wholesome and athletic over his 26 minutes. He simply didn’t have any assist.

The Knicks — who shot 44.2 p.c general and 38.2 p.c from past the arc — dominated on the street.

The Cavs had been vocal the earlier two days about returning favours to the Knicks after getting hammered by Tom Thibodeau’s squad in final season’s playoffs.

Isaac Okoro, the staff’s beginning small ahead, stated the defeat caught with him till the Knicks have been eradicated by Miami.

Max Strus, the newcomer, stated he adopted Cleveland’s beef with the Knicks.

“Whatever we have against the Knicks, I’m in debt to that here,” stated Strus.

Strus added nothing Tuesday whereas lacking 7 of his 9 makes an attempt. Okoro completed with 11 factors in 24 minutes. They scared no one.

Cleveland coach JB Bickerstaff understood the added motivation.

“It’s the human nature,” he stated. “It’s the competitiveness of the NBA. The guys who make it here, you do not make it if you don’t have that competitive edge. So it’s going to be a little bit more on both teams minds, that clash that we had in April. Just their human nature, you expect them to perk up a little bit.”

Still, the environment was tame to start with Wednesday, a lifeless crowd on Halloween.

The Cavs have been lacking three of their high gamers — Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert — due to accidents.

The Knicks, conversely, have been absolutely wholesome and, just like the Cavs, have been working on two days’ relaxation. They took benefit.

-This story was first printed by Stefan Bondy in The New York Post and reproduced with permission

ALL RESULTS

KNICKS 109 CAVALIERS 91

SPURS 115 SUNS 114

MAGIC 102 CLIPPERS 118