Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio are learning what it takes to win

LAS VEGAS, NV — The San Antonio Spurs to have were one of the best teams to the NBA to start the season, and they did it with superstars Victor Vembanyama and De’Aaron Fox missed time due to injury.

But the team played its first game with its core completely healthy against Oklahoma City Thunderand put on an absolute show in the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.

Vembanyama missed 12 straight games with a calf strain before returning against the Thunder, and the Spurs went 9-3 without him. Returning to a high-stakes game like the NBA Cup didn’t make things any easier, but Vembanjama was excited to see his team healthy for the first time.

“I think it’s our first time playing everybody,” Victor Wembanyama said after the Spurs’ win over the Thunder. “My thoughts are just that we’re already a solid team, already over 20 games ago. It’s just experience. We’re just figuring it out. The difference with us and this team that’s, I don’t know, how many are 24-2? It’s that we haven’t had this many repetitions, recognizing what it takes and enjoying what it takes to win.

“This is our next step. Because this OKC team, they’re not just first in the league, they’re way ahead of everybody. Because when you watch them, no matter who, whether it’s the 12th seed or the starting five, whether they’re playing against the 15th seed or in any game, they play the same way. They make them enjoy the next step, and we get to enjoy the little things.”

In his first game back, Wembanyama came off the bench to not disrupt the rhythm the starting lineup had developed while allowing him to close out the game in the fourth quarter. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. In 21 minutes of play, Vembanyama shot 6 of 11 from the field, 1 of 1 from three and 9 of 12 from the free throw line.

Devin Vassell added a game-high 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each scored 22 points.

A complete team effort on both ends of the floor as the Spurs overcame a 16-point deficit to hand the Thunder their second loss of the season showed the growth we’re starting to see from a San Antonio organization that has been accustomed to winning for most of the last 30 years.

“It’s difficult,” added Victor Vembanyama. “I think we’re on the right track, and for the first time in my career — not in the case of everyone in our group — for the first time in my career, we’re winning a lot more than we’re losing. So it’s very satisfying, because … It’s not normal when we lose, but unfortunately, these are things that we have to go through in the future, but we have to go through again. We’re winning a lot more than we’re losing right now, so we’re all where we want to be, we’re all where we want to be.”

The NBA is very much a results-based league, but the Spurs are showing signs of improvement as they win to the point where they look ready to contend for a championship now.

“That’s what we preach,” De’Aaron Fox explained. “Obviously it’s great to learn in the process while you’re winning, it’s always better to go through it than to have growing pains. But we always go into every game, no matter who we’re playing, the best team in the league, the worst team in the league, whatever it is, and we take care of ourselves first. Because we know if we can come out on top, we know we can do it and let’s give ourselves a chance to win no matter who we play.

“I think we showed that (against the Thunder). This team hit us in the mouth first. We were able to respond and they responded, and we were able to close the game. So I think that’s what we call a mature win. But it’s a lot better to win games like this and learn in the process.”

The Spurs advanced to Tuesday night’s NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, and while a win or a loss won’t count toward their record, they’re certainly a team on the rise as the season progresses toward Christmas.