AP Photo/Nate Billings
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are two of the top Rookie of the Year candidates this season, so the first ever matchup between the pair on Tuesday night was a highly-anticipated event.
Sadly, it didn’t live up to the hype.
Wemby (eight points, 14 rebounds, four turnovers, 4-of-15 from the field) and Holmgren (nine points, seven rebounds, 3-of-10 from the field) each struggled immensely as the Thunder throttled the Spurs, 123-87, during In-Season Tournament action in West Group C.
The true highlight of the night between the pair was the picture of the opening tip-off:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points, seven steals, six rebounds, five assists) led the charge for the Thunder, which now sits at 1-2 in Tourney play. The Spurs moved to 1-1 in the Tournament.
But the Wemby vs. Holmgren was the marquee matchup, and NBA fans and pundits alike were disappointed in the result:
It’s important to note that both Wemby and Holmgren are just rookies, and each have only played 11 career games. Better nights will come.
Still, a clash of these future titans was supposed to be the first glimpse into what could become an epic rivalry in the future. Instead—and much to the chagrin of both the NBA and TNT, which was broadcasting the game to a national audience—each played their worst game of the season.
To be fair, this was an ugly game, period. The Spurs turned the ball over 24 times and shot just 38.7 percent from the field (36-of-93). They very much looked like a 3-8 team.
The Thunder, meanwhile, moved to 7-4 and continued to look like a team that could be awfully pesky come the postseason. These are teams in much different places in their respective rebuilds, no doubt.
Fans weren’t necessarily expecting an amazing game. But at least a little bit of intriguing in the Wemby vs. Holmgren matchup would have been nice.
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