Charles Barkley believes Victor Wembanyama’s ‘in shock’ amid Game 2 struggles

Charles Barkley had a tough statement regarding San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama’s struggles against New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns in the first two games of the 2026 NBA Finals so far.

Wembanyama is going through the third season of his career with the Spurs and his first playoff run. His remarkable efforts allowed him to earn Defensive Player of the Year and lead San Antonio to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

However, his debut in the championship has been rough so far. He had 26 points and 12 rebounds but shot a woeful 6-of-21 from the field. In the first half of Game 2, he only had seven points and five rebounds and two turnovers.

Barkley and the Inside The NBA crew gave their thoughts on what happened at halftime. The former believes that Wembanyama is going through shock with what he’s experiencing in the Finals at the moment.

“[Wemby] is in shock right now. It’s probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this,” Barkley said.

“[Wemby] is in shock right now. It’s probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this.”

Charles Barkley speaks on the play of Victor Wembanyama pic.twitter.com/E300LV9QPC

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2026

How Victor Wembanyama, Spurs played against Knicks

Victor Wembanyama played better in the second half of Game 2, but made critical errors that saw the Spurs fall 105-104 to the Knicks at home.

Five players scored in double-digits for San Antonio in the loss, including Wembanyama. He finished with a stat line of 29 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and two steals. He shot 11-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. De’Aaron Fox came next with 20 points and five assists, Dylan Harper had 15 points and six rebounds, while Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle provided 14 points each.

The Spurs hope to avoid a 3-0 series deficit when they go on the road to face the Knicks in Game 3. The contest takes place on June 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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