Victor Wembanyama had a reassuring message for Spurs fans after being forced to leave Wednesday’s game with a hyperextended left knee, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story. The injury looked scary as Wembanyama limped off the court early in the fourth quarter, but he doesn’t believe it’s serious.
“I’m feeling good, just sore,” Wembanyama said. “I’m confident. I was this close to coming back into the game. They had to hold me back. … It was just a hyperextension. It should be a minimal. … We are going to do everything tomorrow to make sure it is OK.”
Wembanyama expects to be available for Friday’s game at Indiana on the first night of a back-to-back, but he acknowledged that the team’s medical staff may not agree with his assessment. The injury occurred when he landed awkwardly while fighting for an offensive rebound. After having it checked out, he walked normally as he returned to the Spurs’ bench late in the game while wearing slippers.
“Have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but I think I saw what everybody else saw,” coach Mitch Johnson told reporters. “Obviously, he finished the game on the bench with his teammates, so I think that made me feel good. I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and be able to finish the game on the bench with his teammates.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Julian Champagnie sparked a comeback win over New York with a historic shooting performance, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Champagnie made 11 of his 17 three-point attempts on a night when his teammates shot just 3-of-21 from beyond the arc, and his 36 points were the most in NBA history for a player without taking a two-point shot.
- The Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox because of his reputation as one of the NBA’s best closers, and he displayed those skills on Wednesday by scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter after Wembanyama left the game, McDonald adds. The performance looked familiar to Knicks coach Mike Brown, who guided Fox for three years in Sacramento. “He’s just a great player, man,” Brown said. “The stuff that’s happening here with him, it’s not a surprise to me at all.”
- Champagnie started the game in place of Devin Vassell, who’s dealing with an adductor strain. Johnson said Vassell is expected to miss “more than a game or two,” Orsborn tweets.