Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs without too much drama on Wednesday night, 140-114, a fairly expected result.
But the intrigue was watching the matchup between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.
Wemby was excellent yet again, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in a losing effort.
NBA @NBA
Wemby flashes and extends for the one-hand jam!#NBARivalsWeek
Spurs-Thunder | Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/KNpQzB4ynV
San Antonio Spurs @spurs
❌ WEMBY REJECTION ❌
3 BLKS for the rookie tonight! pic.twitter.com/BFZXQkWXyS
Holmgren was hardly chopped liver himself, contributing 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks, though it was mostly the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander show for the Thunder (32 points, 10 assists, six boards).
OKC THUNDER @okcthunder
Force on the floor @OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/B7VCJww8TL
The first matchup between Wemby and Holmgren was a bit of a flop, but this was lived up to the hype, especially once the pair really started gunning for each other in the fourth quarter.
NBA fans and pundits alike enjoyed that back-and-forth battle:
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
one of the best stretches of the season right there. watch Chet and Wemby away from the ball try and establish position against each other. they went at it for six straight minutes in the trenches even before one of them got it.https://t.co/HSY3Nps53x
Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
This definitely feels like Chet and Vic are going after each other.
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Chet vs Wemby officially broke out in the 4th quarter.
Wemby put his shoulder into Chet on a dunk.
Chet threw his shoulder into Wemby on the other end.
Chet had 9 points and Wemby had 6 in 4 minutes.
OKC is up 30 but this is the most fun this game has been all night.
Jay King @ByJayKing
They should have left Chet and Wembanyama in the whole game. Those dudes would have tried to keep one upping each other the rest of the way. Electric battle.
Lang Whitaker @langwhitaker
I kinda like how Wemby and Chet clearly don’t like each other
Johnny Carver @CarverJohnny
Chet and Wemby playing one-on-one should be an All-Star Saturday event
Stephen Dolan @SteveThunderfan
NBA fans tonight like
Man…. Wemby…
But you know… Chet… pic.twitter.com/0yn4eonVRJ
Thunder Film Room @ThunderFilmRoom
God I love Chet man.
he’s been pretty nonchalant tonight but that dunk & stare down from Wemby really got him going.
Didn’t back down. I LOVE IT
Travis Hale @LubbockElitist
Anyone who’s still up in the air about the ROY race should just watch the spurs for five minutes when Wemby is not in the game.
Drew @DrewC_10
I’m actually very happy this is a nationalized T.V game. People can see what Wemby is working with. It’s absolutely clear there’s nothing on this team to help Victor other than Vassell, and that’s ok. The thunder have a top 5 player on their team lol along with a great squad.
It’s inevitable that Wemby and Holmgren are going to be compared for their entire careers, though it’s unlikely their respective teams will be on the same level anytime soon. The Thunder are 31-13, already a legitimate playoff contender and boast one of the most promising young rosters in the NBA.
The Spurs are 8-36 and don’t have many bright spots outside of Wembanyama. The Spurs are in the early stages of a rebuild, though they have an ascendant superstar in the making to build around.
It will be interesting to see how the Rookie of the Year battle continues to evolve, though Wemby appears to be the current frontrunner, with Holmgren his chief competition.
One fun thing for NBA fans to remember is that these teams still play two more times this season. The Thunder already hold the 2-0 advantage, but the main attraction is the Wemby vs. Holmgren show.
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