It’s difficult to slow down Victor Wembanyama. Even several NBA All-Defensive players have entrusted the duty of defending the 7’4″ Spurs star to a higher power because it may be so challenging.
However, Wembanyama, who shot only 5-for-21 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point range in the Spurs’ 111-106 loss to Houston on Tuesday, was troubled by the Rockets.
How did they accomplish it, then?
Fifteen times after the victory, All-Star Kevin Durant, who played most of the game as Wembanyama’s primary defender, described the Rockets’ tactics. Kevin said:
“Yeah, I mean, he’s still working on his jump shot,”
“You can tell he’s trying to figure his jump shot out. We made him shoot tough fadeaways over us all night. He hit a couple early on, but for the most part, we made him shoot over us.
“He’s more dangerous when he gets layups and dunks and plays around the rim. That’s more his game, I think, than floating around the perimeter shooting threes or jump shots. When they go in it looks amazing but when you get a hand up, there was some bad misses. We was able to get out and run.”
“…But just his length in the paint is a problem,”. “When he gets hot, it’s tough to stop him but I think we did a solid job of—putting him in foul trouble a little bit too—but getting our hands up on some of his jump shots.”
— . (@dphoop2425) January 21, 2026
When the two Western Conference heavyweights, who have split the season series at one game apiece thus far, meet again on January 28, Wembanyama will get another opportunity to take on the Rockets defense.
