The San Antonio Spurs have their backs up against the wall in the 2026 NBA Finals. After throwing away a 29-point lead in Game 4 against the New York Knicks, the Spurs now are trailing 3-1 in this series, and they are at the risk of allowing the Knicks to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy on their home court.
If there’s one guy who can single-handedly stop New York, it’s Victor Wembanyama. The French phenom has been great throughout the playoffs, but he has struggled with the Knicks’ increased physicality against him. While he’s received his fair share of the blame for San Antonio’s struggles, NBA legend Isiah Thomas recently stepped in to defend him from his critics.
Isiah Thomas Comes to Victor Wembanyama’s Defense
Isiah Thomas doesn’t want an ethical big man 😂💯
@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23If he wasn’t already regarded as one of the best players in the league, Wembanyama solidified himself as a budding star this season. In 64 games for San Antonio, Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting a career-high 51.2% from the field. He also led the league in blocks per game for the third-straight year (3.1), which helped him earn the first Defensive Player of the Year Award of his career.
In his first taste of the playoffs, Wembanyama has guided San Antonio on a deep run (24 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 49.1 FG%). Against the Knicks, though, things have not come as easily for Wembanyama. While he’s averaging 27.8 points per game, his efficiency has dropped significantly (he’s hitting just 43.5% of his shots), which has made life significantly more difficult for the Spurs on offense.
The key to New York’s game plan involves getting physical with Wembanyama and roughing him up, even when he isn’t touching the ball. It has worked, as he’s made crucial errors late in two of the Spurs’ three losses in this series. And yet, if you ask Thomas, he doesn’t think the criticism of Wembanyama is fair, simply because of what New York has done to him.
“Wemby has been the victim of some of the dirtiest s*** ever,” Thomas said on “Run It Back.” “I mean, people are grabbing and holding him … They’re lucky he hasn’t turned around and popped one of them in the face real quick.”
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Need to Get Their Act Together in Game 5
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City.
San Antonio may be down in this series, but it is really only a couple of plays away from having a 3-1 lead itself. That sort of silver lining doesn’t serve anyone well at this point in the season, but the Spurs are still very much alive, no matter what the series record indicates. However, the margin for error is gone now, meaning that this team needs to right the ship immediately.
The good news for the Spurs is that they will get two days off between Games 4 and 5, and they will be returning to their home territory after spending the past few days getting terrorized by Knicks fans. San Antonio must take it a game at a time right now, and its primary objective involves finding a way to extend this series by picking up a win in Game 5.
NBA Legend Defends Victor Wembanyama After Spurs’ Game 4 Collapse