San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama hit a 17-foot jumper with one second left to secure a 101-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns on March 19, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.[1] The win clinched the Spurs' first playoff berth since the 2018-19 NBA season.[2]
Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 French-born player selected first overall by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft, scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the game.[3] The Spurs trailed 100-95 with 1:13 remaining after a 3-pointer by Suns guard Jordan Goodwin. Wembanyama then grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul from Suns guard Devin Booker, and made both free throws to narrow the gap to 100-97.
A missed shot by Booker led to a layup by a Spurs guard that cut the deficit to 100-99. Wembanyama then fouled Suns forward Rasheer Fleming, who missed both free throws. The Spurs called timeout, rebounded, and set up Wembanyama for the game-winner.
After the game, Wembanyama described the chaotic final moments, noting he was playing with wine-stained shorts after a spill. "It was hard to take in all the stimulus around me," he said. "I had the fans looking at me. I had this guy spill wine on me."
Wembanyama expressed mixed emotions about the playoff clinch. "Of course, the first instinct is to be proud of it and to love it because we’re part of it," he said. "But the key for me is to try to not care because we want to attack 82 games. I’m scared to become complacent."
The Spurs and Suns compete in the NBA's Western Conference. Frost Bank Center, previously known as AT&T Center, has been the Spurs' home arena since 2002.[1]
Sources
- San Antonio Spurs. "Frost Bank Center". NBA.com. Accessed October 2024. https://www.nba.com/spurs/frost-bank-center
- Basketball-Reference.com. "San Antonio Spurs Franchise Index". Accessed October 2024. https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/index.html
- NBA.com. "Victor Wembanyama Player Profile". Accessed October 2024. https://www.nba.com/player/1641723/victor-wembanyama
