Thunder's Holmgren takes victory over Spurs' Wembanyama in last game

OKLAHOMA CITY – Chet Holmgren is tired of talking about what he sees as a manufactured rivalry with Victor Wembanyama, but he understands the hype.

Wembanyama is 7-foot-3 and Holmgren is 7-foot-1. Wembanyama was rookie of the year for the San Antonio Spurs last year and Holmgren was runner-up for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both have ball-handling skills and shooting range that are unusually good for players due to their size and length.

Such an action potentially leads to higher ratings and more fans in the seats.

“The NBA is a business,” Holmgren said. “And the league is built around players as a form of advertising.

Holmgren won Wednesday's matchup. He scored 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting and helped the Thunder defeat the Spurs 105-93.

Wembanyama had six points on 1-5 shooting. He did not take a shot or score a goal in the second half.

Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Wembanyama had improved since last year, when he also finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. He said the 20-year-old had become more confident this summer and led France to a silver medal at the Olympics.

Popovich did not answer questions after the game. He issued a two-minute statement complimenting the Thunder and criticizing his team's performance.

Last season, Wembanyama became more effective every time the Spurs played the Thunder, and San Antonio's results also improved.

Oklahoma City won the first two meetings last season, but Wembanyama had 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in the third game, a 132-118 win for San Antonio. Holmgren scored 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the same game.

Wembanyama didn't play in Game 4, a clean sweep for the Thunder, but he averaged 20 points, 13 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in the three games he played, setting the stage for Wednesday's energy level at Paycom Center .

Wembanyama was loudly booed as he was introduced into the starting lineup – shortly before ex-Oklahoma City player Chris Paul was applauded.

After Wembanyama won the tip, the crowd was excited as the two occasionally clashed head-to-head. There was excitement in the first quarter as Holmgren handled the ball against Wembanyama before missing a pull-up jumper. Holmgren hit a pair of three-pointers early while protected by other players.

The excitement died down as the duel became one-sided. Holmgren scored 15 points in the first half while Wembanyama had six points on 1-for-5 shooting and six rebounds.

After Oklahoma City took control, Wembanyama was benched for the final 7:04 of the game – an unexpected end for a player who had averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds in three games.

When Holmgren was asked about the duel after the game, he evaded it.

“I enjoy every single day that I can wake up and play basketball while taking care of my family,” he said. “This is what I've always wanted to do. This is what I always want to do as long as I am able. And you know, that doesn't change from game to game. But whatever, it's always like this. “I'm going to compete here against our opponent and try to win basketball games.