Spurs end 9-year drought, and Victor Wembanyama warning continues to rest of NBA originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs took care of business on Tuesday night, and so they're moving on in the NBA playoffs, eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers in the process.
Believe it or not, it's the Spurs' first playoff series victory in nine years. For this franchise, it's been a relative wandering in the desert since 2017. But it was in the desert where they found their savior, Victor Wembanyama.
And at this point, the rest of the NBA already knows what it's up against. But just in case, Wembanyama does about 10 different things every night that remind the league that it should be very, very afraid.
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In the clincher against the Blazers, Wemby blocked a shot over the backboard. Like, above it. No one else does that.
He also had one of those spinning, slicing, "there's no way he finishes this with a dunk" dunks that makes no sense for any other human but him.
He's 7-foot-5, or 7-foot-4, or whatever height the Spurs decide to convince everyone else he is, but really, you could put any tall height number next to his name and everyone would be like, "Yeah, that sounds right." He might as well be 8-feet tall.
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Wemby actually had a tame night by his standards on Tuesday -- just 17 points (although efficient 5-for-7 FG, 1-2 3FG, 6-6 FT). He did have 14 rebounds, three assists and six blocks.
But the Spurs won by 19, never really threatened, and so Wembanyama didn't have to take the game over at any point.
There will be tougher foes than Portland, but the point remains. Wemby is at least getting closer to the peak of his powers, and that's a scary proposition for the rest of the NBA.
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