Victor Wembanyama recorded 29 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals in the San Antonio Spurs’ heartbreaking 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night.
However, his sluggish first half, a costly turnover, a foul, and a missed jumper in the final seconds ultimately overshadowed his second-half surge, as the Spurs fell behind 0-2 in the series.
Looking back, some of the concerns raised by Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley during halftime proved prophetic.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley Rip Victor Wembanyama After Knicks Take Game 2
Wembanyama struggled to make an impact early and entered halftime with just 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 turnovers.
Speaking during ESPN’s NBA Halftime broadcast, O’Neal said he expected much more aggression from the 22-year-old star.
“I’m surprised. I thought he was going to come out with a little more aggression, being at home, others, the fans involved. He didn’t take his first shot the first four minutes of the game,” O’Neal said.
Shaq & Barkley get into it over Wemby’s performance so far in Game 1 and Game 2 💥
Every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available on Kayo.#NBA #NBAFinals #Basketball pic.twitter.com/ukEuyrA8F9
— Kayo Sports (@kayosports) June 6, 2026
The Hall of Famer pointed to several possessions where Wembanyama attacked the basket successfully but felt he wasn’t consistently putting pressure on New York’s defense.
O’Neal also criticized Wembanyama’s effort level in transition and questioned his reliance on perimeter jumpers instead of using his size advantage closer to the basket.
While O’Neal acknowledged Wembanyama’s youth, he argued that being 22 should translate into greater energy and urgency on the floor.
Barkley largely agreed with the assessment: “Wemby’s in shock right now. It’s probably been a long time since he got his a** kicked like this,” Barkley said.
The former All-Star then pointed directly to Karl-Anthony Towns’ successful efforts in restricting the French big man throughout the first half.
“He’s gonna own the league soon, but right now Big KAT is just taking his a** to the woodshed plain and simple.”
More from Charles:
“He’s gonna own the league soon, but right now Big KAT is just taking his ass to the woodshed plain and simple” https://t.co/JXWPL8Kwuv pic.twitter.com/gh0i0AUzHU
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 6, 2026
Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith also chimed in, saying, “He’s [Wembanyama] being owned.”
Towns certainly looked confident.
Just before halftime, the Knicks star knocked down a 3-pointer right over Wembanyama and appeared to direct a message toward the Western Conference Finals MVP, saying, “He can’t f*** with me.”
KAT on Wemby during halftime:
“He can’t f*ck with me.” pic.twitter.com/Gi2kK5ZFx3
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) June 6, 2026
To Wembanyama’s credit, he responded after the break and looked much more like the player who carried the Spurs to the NBA Finals. He added 22 points to his final tally on 11 of 21 shooting, but Towns and the Knicks got the last laugh.
With the score tied 104-104 and 12 seconds remaining, Wembanyama threw an errant pass that bounced off Stephon Castle’s back and into the hands of Jalen Brunson.
He then fouled Brunson, who split 2 free throws to put New York ahead.
Wembanyama had one final chance to rescue the Spurs, but missed a jumper with 2 seconds left as New York escaped with the victory.
The result leaves the Spurs in a historically dangerous position. As highlighted by Real App on X, no team in NBA history has come back to win the NBA Finals after losing the first 2 games at home.
The series now shifts to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday, with the Spurs desperately needing a response from their young superstar.
