OKLAHOMA CITY — For much of these Western Conference finals, Victor Wembanyama has looked superhuman.In Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs 7-foot-4 center did his best Steph Curry impression, pulling up just inside the half-court line and burying a 3 to force a second overtime. In Game 4, Wembanyama let go an even deeper 3 from behind the half-court line and swished it.San Antonio won on both those nights, and entering Tuesday’s Game 5, the Spurs were hoping to put the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on the precipice of elimination. With a chance to cement his status as the best player in the world — and more importantly, take another step toward reaching the NBA Finals — Wembanyama looked surprisingly mortal instead. He scored 20 points, his fewest in a game this series, and grabbed six rebounds in the Spurs’ 127-114 loss to the Thunder.Wembanyama did the majority of his scoring from the free-throw line, where he shot 12 of 12, but he went 4 of 15 from the floor. Wembanyama converted 4 of 9 shots in the paint and missed all five 3s he attempted. Afterward, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he needs more from his 22-year-old superstar.“He has to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws,” Johnson said. “He’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure.”Wembanyama has been transcendent in the Spurs’ two wins over the Thunder. He tallied an absurd 41 points and 24 rebounds in San Antonio’s Game 1 double-overtime win and then notched 33 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in his team’s blowout victory in Game 4.
Victor Wembanyama looked mortal in Game 5 loss. The Spurs need his superhuman form
In San Antonio's two wins over the Thunder this series, Wembanyama has been transcendent. He didn't reach that level Tuesday night.













