The San Antonio Spurs are officially back. After a six-year wait, the Silver and Black secured their spot in the 2026 NBA Playoffs on Thursday night, and they did it in the most Victor Wembanyama way possible.
With the Frost Bank Center rocking, Wembanyama drained a cold-blooded 17-foot pull-up jumper over Oso Ighodaro with just 1.1 seconds remaining to lift San Antonio to a 101-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The win doesn't just end a postseason drought; it solidifies the Spurs (52-18) as a powerhouse No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Wembanyama was a force of nature all evening. The superstar big man finished with a game-high 34 points and 12 rebounds, adding three steals and a block across 35 minutes of action. He was automatic from the charity stripe, going a perfect 12-for-12, and finished 10-of-20 from the floor.
1The Phoenix Suns didn’t make it easy, leading by 11 points at halftime and 10 points midway through the fourth quarter after a thunderous Khaman Maluach dunk. Collin Gillespie led the Suns with 24 points, while Devin Booker added 22. However, San Antonio surged late behind De'Aaron Fox, who chipped in 23 points and a crucial finger-roll layup to cut the lead to one in the final minute.
Despite the heroics and the massive milestone, Wembanyama isn't popping champagne just yet. When asked about the post-game feeling of clinching his first NBA playoff berth, the 22-year-old revealed a mindset that should put the rest of the league on notice.
“First instinct is to be proud of it, but the key for me, is to try to not to care, cause we want to attack 82 games,” Wembanyama said. “I am scared to become complacent.”
That fear is exactly why the Spurs look so dangerous. With Julian Champagnie adding 14 points and the team riding a four-game winning streak, San Antonio is peaking at the right time. The postseason has a new giant to deal with.
