In 1993, Chris Webber called a timeout he didn’t have in the NCAA championship game. In 2018, JR Smith forgot the score in Game 1 of the Finals. While what happened with 12.7 seconds left on Friday night in San Antonio is not quite at that level, but it will be replayed for a long time regardless.
With the score tied at 104-104, Victor Wembanyama grabbed his ninth rebound off a Jalen Brunson miss and immediately looked to push. What the cameras caught in that same instant was Stephon Castle waving him down, trying to tell Wembanyama to slow up, to give him **** e to operate. Wembanyama took one dribble and fired a pass that bounced directly off Castle’s back. Brunson scooped it up, drew the foul, and made the free throw that decided the series-threatening 105-104 loss. Castle explained afterward what he was doing in that moment:
“I didn’t see him throw it to me. I see Vic has the ball, tie game. I was just trying to give Vic **** e.”
The play wasn’t a freak accident. It was the product of a player whose game-speed processing failed him at the worst possible moment and a pattern, however nascent, is starting to form.
In Game 1, Wembanyama shot 6-of-21 and coughed it up six times. He was better in Game 2, shooting 11-of-21 and showing far more composure for 39 minutes and 50 seconds. The final ten seconds are what the series will remember.
With the score tied at 104-104, Victor Wembanyama grabbed his ninth rebound off a Jalen Brunson miss and immediately looked to push. What the cameras caught in that same instant was Stephon Castle waving him down, trying to tell Wembanyama to slow up, to give him **** e to operate. Wembanyama took one dribble and fired a pass that bounced directly off Castle’s back. Brunson scooped it up, drew the foul, and made the free throw that decided the series-threatening 105-104 loss. Castle explained afterward what he was doing in that moment:
“I didn’t see him throw it to me. I see Vic has the ball, tie game. I was just trying to give Vic **** e.”
The play wasn’t a freak accident. It was the product of a player whose game-speed processing failed him at the worst possible moment and a pattern, however nascent, is starting to form.
In Game 1, Wembanyama shot 6-of-21 and coughed it up six times. He was better in Game 2, shooting 11-of-21 and showing far more composure for 39 minutes and 50 seconds. The final ten seconds are what the series will remember.
5 months ago
