SAN ANTONIO -- Victor Wembanyama accepted responsibility for his role in San Antonio's first Game 1 loss in the NBA Finals in franchise history but said he wasn't "worried in the slightest" about how the Spurs would fare as the series unfolds.
Minutes after the New York Knicks defeated San Antonio 105-95 on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals, Wembanyama, who committed postseason career highs in turnovers (six) and missed shots (15), agreed with coach Mitch Johnson's assessment that he needed to establish more of a presence inside to achieve team success. The Knicks outscored San Antonio 50-42 in the paint and outperformed the Spurs 23-14 in second-chance scoring.
"I agree with the coach," Wembanyama said. "It's the same: Every team guards differently. I'm going to figure it out. I was bad tonight. It's not more complicated than that."
Wembanyama finished with a team-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, becoming the fourth player since blocks became official (1974) to achieve that line in their Finals debut. The 22-year-old joined Shaquille O'Neal (1995), Hakeem Olajuwon (1986) and Elvin Hayes (1975).