Wemby Addresses Missing Clutch Shot, De'Aaron Fox Reveals Halftime Message Teammates Told Spurs Star

Victor Wembanyama came alive in the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, yet it still wasn't enough as the two-time All-Star missed a shot at the buzzer in Friday's 105-104 loss to put the San Antonio Spurs in an 0-2 hole.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Wembanyama explained he "liked the shot" he got in the final seconds, but "results matter more than process" at that point in the game and "I need to score."

After Wembanyama was held to seven points on four shot attempts in the first half, De'Aaron Fox told reporters the team challenged the young superstar in the halftime locker room by saying "we need you to be aggressive" to give the Spurs a chance.

Knicks-Spurs Highlights

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The message seemed to connect, as Wembanyama scored 22 of San Antonio's 52 points in the second half. His 17 field-goal attempts after the intermission were 10 more than anyone else on the Spurs took, and he was the only player on the team that scored in double-figures over the final two quarters.

Even though Wembanyama was able to figure things out, the Spurs fell apart in the final 40 seconds of the game after taking a 104-102 lead. His final three touches of the game resulted in two missed field goals, including a potential game-winner at the buzzer, and a turnover.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns explained afterward that the final defensive possession with Mitchell Robinson guarding Wembanyama to force the missed shot was the "culmination" of accumulating information over the course of the entire game to know what they needed to do to win:

"I feel like that last play was a culmination of the game, just downloading information as the game went on and Wemby throughout the game, (and) on the last possession I think it's the best defense he's played on him all day. There was no better time for him to do that. But Mitch is a hell of a defensive player, and you expect him to make the best effort defensively. And it just speaks to his resiliency, too, going out here, playing with the injury and coming up with the biggest play of the game."

If the Spurs can take away a positive from this result, Wembanyama seemed to finally figure things out in the second half. He helped them erase a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to have a chance to win at the end.

Wembanyama and the Spurs will need that momentum to carry over as the series heads to Madison Square Garden for the next two games with the Knicks having won 13 straight games in this postseason.

Game 3 between the Spurs and Knicks will be played on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.