Wembanyama Shrugs Off Draymond Green's Push

Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old French center, said he was not bothered by his opponents' physical play. The Spurs beat the reigning Western Conference champions, the Golden State Warriors, at home on Friday. With the win, the team extended its winning streak to 11 games in the 2026-27 NBA season.

The game got more heated in the second quarter. With 6 minutes and 47 seconds left before halftime, San Antonio led by 23 points when 36-year-old Draymond Green moved in behind Wembanyama. As the center positioned himself under the basket for an offensive rebound, Green pushed him in the back with his forearm, sending Wembanyama out of bounds. The referees gave Green a first-degree unsportsmanlike foul.

After the game, the incident was brought up. Wembanyama answered calmly: "I have nothing on my mind about this. It didn't really surprise me." The French player had previously rejected claims that physical defense and opponents' special tactical plans would throw him off his game. In his view, that kind of strategy was almost ineffective, and the results showed it.

The Spurs' lead reached 43 points in the third quarter. For this reason, the coaching staff gave their leader and main rotation players a chance to rest for the final period. Wembanyama played 21 minutes, made 5 of 11 shots, and recorded the 121st double-double of his career.