Spurs Fuel Championship Ambitions
Victor Wembanyama says the Spurs are using their historic Finals collapse as motivation for a new title run.
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Victor Wembanyama says the San Antonio Spurs’ five-game NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks continued to weigh on him over the offseason, sometimes costing him sleep, but he is confronting the disappointment rather than avoiding it. The Spurs’ collapse after leading by 29 points in Game 4 remains especially painful and has become a source of motivation. The team used offseason workouts, time together and a trip to France to process the loss, with veterans De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes helping guide the young roster. As the Spurs enter the new season, Wembanyama says they want to contend for the top seed and make another championship run, though Barnes has cautioned that the team must start its journey anew.
Key Points
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San Antonio surrendered double-digit leads in each of its four Finals losses. In Game 4, New York overturned a 29-point deficit to win 107-106, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
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Wembanyama said he sees the defeat as fuel, calling the loss “a better motivation” than he could have imagined.
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Wembanyama said the Finals run had changed the team’s measure of success: “The definition of success changed.” Simply returning to the Western Conference Finals would not be enough for a team that won the West last season.
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Wembanyama acknowledged that San Antonio’s path back to the top would include a challenge from Oklahoma City, which the Spurs beat in seven games in the Western Conference Finals: “We’re fighting for the top spot of the mountain and we’re going to have to move people in our way.”
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