It won’t be an exaggeration to say Victor Wembanyama blew NBA Finals Game 2 for the San Antonio Spurs.
The Western Conference Finals MVP finished with 29 points, but a disastrous final sequence overshadowed everything else as the Spurs suffered a 105-104 loss to the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center on Friday.
Why Victor Wembanyama Is Drawing Heat After Costly Final Seconds vs. Knicks
The French big man was unusually slow out of the gates and scored just 7 points in the first half before finding his rhythm after the break. His scoring picked up in the second half, but several mistakes down the stretch ultimately proved too costly.
With the score tied 104-104 and just over 12 seconds remaining, Wembanyama grabbed a rebound following a missed Jalen Brunson jumper and tried to advance the ball to Stephon Castle.
The pass bounced directly off his back and landed in Brunson’s hands.
Wembanyama then compounded the mistake by fouling Brunson, who split the ensuing free throws to give New York a 105-104 lead. The Spurs star still had a chance to make amends on the final possession, but his jumper missed the mark as San Antonio fell into a 0-2 NBA Finals hole.
Unsurprisingly, the sequence sparked plenty of reactions online:
“Victor Wembanyama just choked away Game 2 of the Finals. Damn,” Legion Hoops posted.
Victor Wembanyama just choked away Game 2 of the Finals. Damn. pic.twitter.com/g9YoOh4cj8
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 6, 2026
“The Spurs did everything right… and Wemby turned it over,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
The Spurs did everything right… and Wemby turned it over.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 6, 2026
The Athletic’s reporter, Law Murray, highlighted just how rough the closing moments were for the Spurs star.
Victor Wembanyama’s final 30 seconds:
– missed 2-for-1 shot
– live ball turnover with game tied
– foul on Brunson (go-ahead NY FT)
– missed game-winning FG— Law Murray 💊 (@LawMurrayTheNU) June 6, 2026
“That’s gotta be one of the craziest ways to lose a Finals game ever,” The Athletic’s Jared Weiss quipped.
That’s gotta be one of the craziest ways to lose a Finals game ever. https://t.co/a6uKUzKPnW
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) June 6, 2026
“Most brutal turnover in recent memory. Wemby’s gonna have war flashbacks for a while,” Detroit Free Press reporter Omari Sankofa II wrote.
Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor also questioned San Antonio’s late-game execution.
“I thought the Spurs forced the ball to Wemby too much down the stretch. Too much face up jumpers instead of running their offense. Also hated his hero ball corner 3.”
I thought the Spurs forced the ball to Wemby too much down the stretch. Too much face up jumpers instead of running their offense. Also hated his hero ball corner 3.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) June 6, 2026
“Bad shot and decision making from Wemby,” NBA analyst Esfandiar Baraheni added.
Bad shot and decision making from Wemby.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 6, 2026
The criticism comes after a postseason run in which Wembanyama had largely been flawless.
The 22-year-old was the driving force behind the Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals, helping the franchise end a 12-year Finals drought while earning unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP honors.
But for the first time this postseason, Wembanyama is feeling the heat. It was evident in his postgame interview, where he accepted his mistakes that cost the Spurs Game 2.
“I threw that one away. I messed up,” Wembanyama acknowledged.
Wemby: “I threw that one away. I messed up” pic.twitter.com/NsUAqE2IMB
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 6, 2026
And with the Spurs now trailing 0-2 in the Finals, San Antonio will need its young superstar to bounce back quickly.
