SAS 134, IND 119: Wembanyama Notches 54.6 Yahoo FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Spurs Wire the Pacers 134-119: Wembanyama Carries San Antonio, Nembhard Goes Off for Indy
The Spurs rolled into this one playing like a team that actually knows what a defensive scheme looks like. Final score Spurs 134, Pacers 119, and if you had Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson on your squad, you're probably feeling pretty good right now. If you had Pascal Siakam, well, we need to talk.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 59.0 | 54.6 | 20/8/6 | 24.3/11.1/3.0 | -4.3 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 45.0 | 38.7 | 25/1/7 | 17.2/2.8/7.2 | +7.8 |
| Keldon Johnson | 46.0 | 34.8 | 24/4/4 | 12.8/5.4/1.3 | +11.2 |
| Jarace Walker | 46.0 | 33.8 | 21/4/4 | 11.5/5.1/2.4 | +9.5 |
| Dylan Harper | 40.0 | 33.3 | 24/4/3 | 11.4/3.4/3.8 | +12.6 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 27.0 | 28.1 | 14/3/7 | 19.0/3.8/6.3 | -5.0 |
| Luke Kornet | 30.0 | 27.6 | 9/8/4 | 6.6/6.2/1.8 | +2.4 |
| Pascal Siakam | 25.0 | 25.9 | 14/2/5 | 23.8/6.6/3.9 | -9.8 |
| Julian Champagnie | 21.0 | 23.4 | 10/7/2 | 11.2/5.7/1.5 | -1.2 |
| T.J. McConnell | 22.0 | 21.4 | 4/2/8 | 9.2/2.3/5.1 | -5.2 |
The Good: Spurs Ball Movement Paid Off Tonight
Victor Wembanyama led the way with 54.6 Yahoo points, which sounds huge until you realize he was actually 4.3 points down from his season average. That's the baseline now. The All-Defensive selection shot 8-18 but grabbed 6 assists and 5 blocks in just 26 minutes. He's basically the floor at this point, which is wild to say about someone putting up 20/8/6. Not a "wow" night for Vic, just his job.
But here's where it gets interesting. Keldon Johnson went absolutely nuclear off the bench, dropping 24 points on 10-12 shooting with 2 threes. That's +11.2 from his season average. More importantly, he only played 25 minutes and was clearly the second option tonight. Dylan Harper came off the bench too and put up 24/4/3 on great efficiency (9-13 FG, 5-5 FT). This is a Spurs team that's figured out spacing and pace, and the minutes are being distributed among guys who can actually shoot it.
Jarace Walker for the Pacers is someone I had my eye on all season, and tonight he reminded everyone why. 21 points on 8-10 shooting with five threes in 34 minutes. +9.5 from his season average. The kid can play, and if the Pacers figure out what they're doing, he's going to be a consistent piece.
The Brutal: Siakam's Night and Fox's Struggles
Pascal Siakam came in as a All-Defensive caliber big and left with 14/2/5 on 6-14 shooting. Down 9.8 points from his average. He played 29 minutes and got absolutely worked defensively by the Spurs' offense. This is what happens when a team actually runs sets instead of playing pick-up ball. Siakam's never going to be a 25-point guy, but he's supposed to be more efficient than this.
De'Aaron Fox getting just 14 points on 6-16 shooting is quietly one of the worst things that happened to an Indy backcourt tonight. Sure, he had 7 assists, but for a team that's supposed to be running, they got out-run by a Spurs squad that moved it with actual purpose. He's still putting up decent peripherals with 1 steal, but down 5 from his season average on a night where the team needed scoring. That's concerning.
The Chaos: Nembhard Goes Off, Everyone Else Questions Their Life
Andrew Nembhard went for 25/1/7 and hit 7 of 9 free throws. That's 38.7 Yahoo points, up +7.8 from his season average. He was basically the entire Pacers' offense tonight, and it wasn't enough. This is the issue with Indy right now. They're getting performances, but they're not getting enough bodies to contribute. T.J. McConnell only played 16 minutes and shot 2-8. That's not a bounce-back.
Look, Nembhard had a legit great game, but the Spurs dialed up the perimeter defense and made it hard for everyone else. This wasn't a "hold Nembhard and trade the rest" kind of night. This was a team defense thing.
What This Means Going Forward
The Spurs are playing real basketball right now. Role definition, spacing, pace control. Wembanyama is your baseline, Keldon Johnson is a solid secondary option, and anyone else is game-dependent. Dylan Harper looked good, but he's a young player in a system that's finally making sense around him.
For the Pacers, Nembhard showed he can get to 25 when the team needs him, but one guy can't carry a squad against a well-coached team. Jarace Walker is a legitimate building block if you're trying to flip guys at the deadline.
Pascal Siakam owners, don't panic, but do manage expectations. The All-Defensive voters from last year don't mean squat when the Spurs are running a clinic on movement and he's trying to defend in space.