Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren Impress NBA Fans with Duel as Thunder Beat Spurs

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs without too much drama on Wednesday night, 140-114, a fairly expected result.

But the intrigue was watching the matchup between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

Wemby was excellent yet again, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in a losing effort.

Holmgren was hardly chopped liver himself, contributing 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks, though it was mostly the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander show for the Thunder (32 points, 10 assists, six boards).

The first matchup between Wemby and Holmgren was a bit of a flop, but this was lived up to the hype, especially once the pair really started gunning for each other in the fourth quarter.

NBA fans and pundits alike enjoyed that back-and-forth battle:

It’s inevitable that Wemby and Holmgren are going to be compared for their entire careers, though it’s unlikely their respective teams will be on the same level anytime soon. The Thunder are 31-13, already a legitimate playoff contender and boast one of the most promising young rosters in the NBA.

The Spurs are 8-36 and don’t have many bright spots outside of Wembanyama. The Spurs are in the early stages of a rebuild, though they have an ascendant superstar in the making to build around.

It will be interesting to see how the Rookie of the Year battle continues to evolve, though Wemby appears to be the current frontrunner, with Holmgren his chief competition.

One fun thing for NBA fans to remember is that these teams still play two more times this season. The Thunder already hold the 2-0 advantage, but the main attraction is the Wemby vs. Holmgren show.