Victor Wembanyama’s 'annoying' admission turns heads as Mitch Johnson sends strong playoff warning

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Victor Wembanyama’s 'annoying' admission turns heads as Mitch Johnson sends strong playoff warning originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs now find themselves trailing 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals after a 123-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. The defeat marked San Antonio’s second straight setback after stealing Game 1 in a dramatic double-overtime thriller.

After the game, Wembanyama spoke about the physical style the Thunder have brought throughout the series.

"There's no place for frustration,” Wembanyama said. “It's annoying, of course, but we gotta use that as energy... Being physical, the difference maybe with this team is their experience, they're maybe being more smart about it. But we just got to find the answers. "

The Thunder once again leaned heavily into the physical style that disrupted the Spurs in Game 2. This time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's squad combined that toughness with disciplined half-court execution, which proved decisive in taking control of the series.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said that handling the intensity of playoff basketball requires more than just matching physicality.

“It's the playoffs, it's physical, it's chippy,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said following the loss. “There's a level of poise, composure, and execution you have to play with through that, along with the physicality. That's the playoffs, and that's the conference finals, and we got to find a way to do it better."

Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said the team’s biggest challenge was being the aggressor first instead of simply reacting to the Thunder's physicality. He added that while the Spurs were not terrible in that area, the team knows it is capable of responding much better.

Meanwhile, Johnson also pointed to the Spurs’ lack of discipline on several fouls committed against Gilgeous-Alexander. He said he still needs to review the film, but he acknowledged there were multiple moments that should be corrected. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 12 assists while going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Ultimately, the Spurs’ downfall in Game 3 wasn’t due to a lack of effort or talent. Their inability to stay disciplined defensively, combined with blowing a massive 15-point advantage, proved too much to overcome against the Thunder.

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