Doc Rivers reveals text he sent Bill Simmons about Victor Wembanyama’s big Game 1 problem

The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, and it came down to the final minutes to determine who was going to come out with the win. The Spurs had a lead on the Knicks in the second half, but just like they’ve done all postseason, the Knicks fought back and walked down the opposition.

Overall, Victor Wembanyama did not have the best game, even though he finished with 26 points. There were many times when the Knicks had him stuck in his tracks, and he had to force shots. Toward the end of the game, he had a rough stretch where he missed several shots, and many of them weren’t good looks.

Doc Rivers spoke on Bill Simmons’ podcast about what he saw from Wembanyama in Game 1, and for the most part, he looked sped up.

“I texted you in first half and said Wemby looks sped up tonight,” Rivers said. “I think he had 6 or 7 turnovers, Bill. A lot of them were putting the ball on the floor.

“It felt like he dribbled the ball way more than usual. The other thing is time of possession. How often did he hold and have the ball in his hand? It looked like way more than usual. I think that played right into the Knicks’ hands.”

Bill Simmons and Doc Rivers think Wemby looked tired and sped up last night:

Bill: Wemby looked tired. I don’t know what the answer is

Doc: I texted you in first half and said Wemby looks sped up tonight. I think he had 6 or 7 turnovers Bill. A lot of them were putting the ball… pic.twitter.com/TarC2EVzrD

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 4, 2026

Wembanyama and the Spurs have been good at identifying the problems they’ve had during the postseason and correcting them for the next game.

“I’m gonna figure it out. I was bad tonight. It’s not more complicated than that,” Wembanyama said after the game, via Underdog NBA on X, formerly Twitter.

It will be interesting to see what the Spurs do to put Wembanyama in better positions to succeed in Game 2, and if the Knicks will have an answer.

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