Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant exchange praises after Spurs beat Suns / News - Basketnews.com

Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant sang each other's praises following the San Antonio Spurs' win over the Phoenix Suns.

Credit: Mike Christy/Getty Images/AFP Credit Mike Christy/Getty Images/AFP

Victor Wembanyama has quickly become the big star of the San Antonio Spurs. In the 115-114 win against the Phoenix Suns the Spurs overcame a 20-point deficit thanks in part to Wembanyama, who contributed 18 points, eight assists and four blocks.

3-pointers this season

33%12,3Points made:12,3Accuracy:33,3%Place in standings:14Record max:14Record min:11Most made 3FGs:Keldon JohnsonTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

The rookie was able to face his idol Kevin Durant, who left with 26 points and seven assists but suffered a steal by Keldon Johnson with less than two seconds left that gave the Texas team the victory.

The Suns were without Devin Booker for the third consecutive game due to a foot problem and suffered their second loss of the season and now have a 2-2 record , the same as San Antonio.

Durant welcomed Wembanyama with a spectacular one-on-one that ended in a basket at the end of the first period when the Suns already had a nine-point margin. At the end of the match, the Spurs cut it to three points at 112-109 with 1.30 on the clock. Durant returned a five-point margin to the Suns, but everything changed very quickly.

With the score at 115-114 and with only one second left on the clock, the Suns gave the ball to Durant, but his shot only touched the rim, which sealed the victory for the Spurs.

Wembanyama said before the game that Durant is his favorite player, and after the two faced one another, he laid out something that he can take away from the 13-time All-Star’s game.

"I learned that I’m far from mastering the game as much as him, because I tried to do some stuff like him but I think I’m not maybe patient enough," Wembanyama said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. "I think I want to go too fast, but he goes to his own pace and goes to his spots. I think I have to, not copy that, but get inspired by that."

"He's special, you know?" the Frenchman said in the presser. "He's a problem. His teammates look for him and make him a problem the way yhey set up plays. He's one of the toughest players to guard in the league. I haven't seen the whole of him or of the other players of the league, but I think he's up there," he added.

Durant was likewise complimentary of No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

"He's gonna be a force in this league for a long time," Durant said. "Once he continues to get experience under his belt, he’s just gonna get even better."

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