SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama couldn’t stop smirking.
Sitting at the podium in a white, long-sleeve shirt, the 21-year-old recalled his childhood. Nights on end spent watching Steph Curry and the dynastic Golden State Warriors torch opposing teams from the 3-point line. Season after season.
“When they get momentum,” Wembanyama began, “they’re really good. It’s hard to stop them. You need to keep them in the first gear.”
Wembanyama had faced the Warriors before. More specifically, he’d fallen victim to Curry’s antics; a rainbow shot made over his head during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris visualized the duo’s battles. Wednesday night was the same, but in Fiesta colors.
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The San Antonio Spurs, returning home for a five-game stand after a brief visit to Chicago, wanted to capitalize on a three-game win streak. Golden State entered the second game of its back-to-back hoping to steal the first of two bouts in San Antonio.
Not even a pair of triple-doubles could stop the Warriors from emerging victorious.
“Give them a lot of credit,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after his team’s 125-120 loss. “We came out strong, and they responded. We needed to be better.”
On a night when De’Aaron Fox became a non-factor, the Spurs leaned heavily on Wembanyama; they looked to exploit the Warriors’ tired legs. It partly worked.
By the end of the game, Wembanyama had tallied 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Stephon Castle added 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists of his own — the first triple-double of his career — to help the Spurs build a double-digit lead late in the first half that bled into the third quarter.
Still only two years into his career, Castle was aware of his stat line.
“Happy to get it finally,” the guard prefaced, his expression flat. “Proud to be a part of it. But we needed a win to add on to it.”
Nov 12, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
No pair of Spurs teammates had ever notched triple-doubles in the same game, just as no team prior to October had begun the regular season 5-0.
Adding to another historic streak, Wembanyama nabbed his block, despite Golden State’s best efforts to circumnavigate him. His running total now sits at 96.
It was Curry who handed his opponent his flowers.
“He challenges you in ways that don’t make sense,” the point guard said at center court following the game. I saw it at The Olympics, (too).”
While Wembanyama took his turns traversing screens in pursuit of Curry running rampant, most of the defensive burden fell on Castle, who’d come to expect being tasked with said matchup when facing the Warriors. He lauded the assignment.
“He really tests your mental,” Castle said. “You can’t really relax at all.”
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San Antonio attempted to slow down Golden State’s high-powered offense by slowing down Curry. The Warriors, who notched only 22 points in the paint, had no issue continuing to feed their star. He still made the Spurs pay.
Curry finished the contest with 46 points and five 3-pointers. His 16 free throws posed a significant challenge for San Antonio, which admittedly allowed the star his druthers.
“You put a lot of attention on him,” Johnson said. “Guys will get shots. Some were breakdowns on our end, some were them making shots and taking advantage of that.”
“They started to play how they wanted to play,” Castle added. “We can’t allow that.”
Nov 12, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
On a typical night, holding an opponent to 22 points in the paint constitutes a win. Allowing only 14 points in the first quarter is a surefire way to build a lead. Holding that lead proved another demon for Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Between 20 turnovers, 24 total fouls and a bout of foul trouble for both Wembanyama and Castle, self-inflicted wounds befell an overzealous San Antonio.
“It’s frustrating,” Wembanyama conceded, “because sometimes it feels like it’s stuff we can’t control, but we’ve got to be more disciplined. The game was played for 48 minutes, and we didn’t do our job. Not for 48.”
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Wembanyama cited a lack of trust within his teammates. Turnovers materialized when hesitancy overruled the instinct to cut. Missed assignments stemming from doubting help coverage allowed open shots to fall.
But even the Frenchman chalked it up to a learning experience.
“I can remember moments where myself, or my teammates, (did) things on the court out of fear,” he said. “It goes back to maturity. It’s a good test to play against this team.”
The Spurs hope to minimize peaks and valleys moving forward. Johnson has already prescribed a remedy of consistency, and with another battle against the Warriors set for Friday evening, his roster will have a chance to prove its effectiveness.
Next time Wembanyama sits down at the podium, he hopes for a different reason to smirk. A little revenge would certainly do the trick.
“We focus so much on how other teams are playing, trying to stop them,” Castle said. “We’ve got to realize that other teams are doing the same thing with us. We just have to stick to what we’re good at, what we do well, and impose our will on the defensive end.”
