Spurs just addressed critical playoff question that demanded an answer

The Spurs just proved something fans, analysts, and pundits alike needed to see. They dug deep to pull out a win against a team that caught fire early, fighting for a dub against a Kawhi Leonard-led ball club that desperately wanted it. Their desperation meant nothing to San Antonio. On the second night of a back-to-back with limited minutes for their superstar, the home team fought and won.

Carter Bryant, Julian Champagnie, De'Aaron Fox, Luke Kornet, the list goes on. It was a group effort—in true Spurs fashion—once again. They need it more than ever. Victor Wembanyama has averaged fewer than 30 minutes per game for most of the season, but played 40 last night against the NBA's most physical team. It took a toll on him.

Mitch Johnson and the coaching staff kept Wemby's minutes low tonight as a result of that bruiser against Detroit. He only played 21 minutes, but that didn't stop him from making an immense impact. He got his work in, putting up 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks on 52% FG. It was an impressive performance for the Alien, only surpassed by the toughness and resilience shown by his teammates.

The Spurs flexed their toughness

San Antonio came into this game fresh off a battle with the NBA's most physical team. The Pistons take no prisoners when they're on the court, so anyone who goes up against them must be prepared to get the stepchild treatment. That's just how they play basketball, harkening back to the old days of Detroit basketball. A tough city demands tough sports teams.

Wemby's limited minutes can be directly attributed to the battle vs. the Eastern Conference's top seed one night prior. He admitted after the game he was undoubtedly exhausted, and if he'd never said a word, you would have known it by how the French tower leaned over when the final buzzer rang. He was spent, and you could see it clear as day.

Vic also showed a ton of emotion after the victory, though. When asked about how it felt to pull out the win, despite the exhaustion, he replied by saying it felt like the team had his back. He was right. The Alien went 3/4 in the third quarter, but he played fewer than 6 minutes. It was the other guys who stepped up the rest of the period that swung the game.

Carter Bryant was a madman on the defensive end. He kept everyone he defended, including Kawhi Leonard, under control then ended their possessions with strong rebounds. De'Aaron Fox chipped in 3/4 buckets, and Julian Champagnie went 4/5 from three, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter. They revved the silver and black engine, and the Spurs kicked it into high gear after that.

San Antonio's entire team woke up for the fourth, and eight players scored at least one bucket. The depth was on full display once again, and the Clippers couldn't do much about it. It's the first time Wemby has defeated Kawhi Leonard in a regular season game, and fans couldn't have asked for it to happen in a more excruciating way for the Klaw. What a win.