The San Antonio Spurs will face off against the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Cup Final, and they’ll have franchise star Victor Wembanyama in his second game back from a calf strain.
Wembanyama was limited off the bench in the team’s semifinal win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing just 21 minutes but recording 22 points and nine rebounds. But for the clash against the Knicks, the French center expects to play a bit more than he did on Saturday, and will once again come off the bench.
“[Head coach] Mitch Johnson indicates that Wemby might play a little more tonight, and says he won’t start,” Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press wrote in a post on X.
Wembanyama missed 12 games over the course of nearly a month for the Spurs, but made his presence felt against the defending champions, despite playing a season-low in minutes.
Wembanyama Set To Play, Though Still Limited, In The NBA Cup Final
Before the latest update on Johnson, there were still some questions surrounding Wembanyama for his status in the NBA Cup Final. The Spurs have taken a cautious approach to his recovery, and even with money on the line in the game against the Thunder, they chose not to play him until the second quarter, and only ramped up his minutes near the end of the game.
After the win, Johnson had said that, though his star player wanted to see as much action as possible, prioritizing his health over the mid-season tournament was more important.
“It’ll be something that Victor and I will continue to talk through,” Johnson said, per ESPN. “It’s hard. He wants to play. He wants to start. He wants to finish. Wherever you put some minutes, that means you have less over there. We still have to think about what’s best for the team, unfortunately.”
Wembanyama himself, meanwhile, made it clear that he wanted to come in and help San Antonio win. In his ideal world, he wouldn’t be on a minutes restriction, but he knows the team’s staff has the final say.
“It’s going to be a mix of different opinions,” Wembanyama told reporters the day before the game. “But I’m ready. Even I will have my own opinion [about what to do]. It will also be based on my thoughts and the thoughts of the staff. I just said a bunch of nothing. But basically, we’re going to discuss it.”
Johnson’s final update on his star confirms the expectation that he’ll suit up. However, he once again won’t start, and will likely stay around that 20-25 minute mark.
Final Injury Report For Spurs Vs. Knicks In The NBA Cup Final
The best injury news for the Spurs came a few days ago when they originally got Wembanyama back healthy, but overall, they have a very limited injury report. Before tipoff, San Antonio only has Kyle Mangas listed on their injury report.
Mangas was recently added to the roster prior to the team’s clash against Oklahoma City, a move that saw the team waive guard Riley Minix in the process. The new addition has yet to see NBA action, so his status on the injury report won’t impact any of Johnson’s roster moves for the Cup Final.
As for the Knicks, they have a few more health concerns to deal with. Before the game, New York has guards Miles McBride and Landry Shamet, both listed on their injury report. The backcourt duo have each had strong showings throughout the season, but after an ankle sprain and a shoulder sprain, respectively, the two are out for the Knicks’ upcoming contest.
They’ll be missing more than 15 points a game with McBride and Shamet’s absences, but in their places, Josh Hart has stepped up. New York’s frontcourt issues have been prevalent, specifically with Guerschon Yabusele as of late, so, along with picking up the slack of the injured guards, Hart is expected to defend Wembanyama for multiple stretches during the game.
San Antonio enters the game as the slight favorites against New York, and their mostly healthy roster certainly helps their chances in what would be either team’s first time winning the mid-season tournament.
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