OKLAHOMA CITY — Victor Wembanyama’s regimen used to be a negligible off.

The San Antonio Spurs rookie generally takes a noon nap in between practices or previous to video games, however Monday used to be other. His first NBA preseason recreation used to be across the nook. As he laid in mattress, it simply wasn’t the similar.

“I took a nap,” Wembanyama mentioned, “but I couldn’t sleep.”

Wembanyama, the Incorrect. 1 total pick out on this date’s draft, mentioned he used to be full of pleasure as he performed his first preseason mins as a member of the Spurs. He mentioned he had felt a fireplace inside him since Sunday when the Spurs traveled to Oklahoma Town to pluck at the Thunder.

And it wasn’t simply Wembanyama’s debut; it additionally used to be the preseason debut of the Incorrect. 2 pick out within the 2022 draft, Chet Holmgren, who overlooked all of utmost season on account of a Lisfranc trauma in his proper underpinning.

Holmgren and the Thunder got here away with a 122-121 victory, however within the restricted occasion he and Wembanyama shared the court docket, they confirmed what they are able to do, creation with the outlet tipoff.

Holmgren used to be the aggressor early, riding from the supremacy of the important thing and drawing touch to earn a couple of journeys to the detached throw layout.

Wembanyama’s first issues got here on a putback dunk off a detached throw over Holmgren. As Holmgren going to field out Wembanyama to the center of the lane, Wembanyama stayed to his left and stuck the ball on that aspect of the rim for a putback.

Wembanyama, who basically preserved perimeter defenders, leaked out at the fracture for a few more straightforward alternatives, together with one force on which he drew a bad on Holmgren.

“They went at each other a couple of times and it was interesting,” Spurs teacher Gregg Popovich mentioned. “It shows their character, their competitiveness and they did it within reason.

“Neither one used to be taking pictures terrible pictures, they weren’t seeking to do one every other in or anything else. It used to be unsophisticated basketball, and the basketball gods will agree. They’ll be a dozen of amusing for everybody to look at over their careers.”

In the second quarter, Wembanyama showed off his shooting, knocking down one triple from the top of the key on an inbounds play and another from the same spot coming off the dribble.

On perhaps his most impressive offensive play of the night, Wembanyama pump faked a defender at the 3-point line, took two dribbles to his right, spun back into the lane, and jumped and finished with an underhand scoop layup with his left hand around Holmgren.

“I’m simply freestyling,” Wembanyama said when asked about his thought process on the play. “I feel it’s studying, decision-making. I do know that each occasion I penetrate, it’s getting to be a double-team, so I simply spun clear of it.”

It was a much quieter second half for Wembanyama, who had only two points in his six-minute stint in the third quarter as he finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 2-of-5 from distance and 2-of-3 on free throws to go with five rebounds, two steals and a block.

Holmgren got off to a strong start in the first quarter, finishing with 14 points and seven boards in his first eight minutes of work.

The Thunder center totaled 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting and nine rebounds in just over 16 minutes.

According to Caesar’s Sportsbook, Wembanyama and Holmgren are two of the top three favorites for rookie of the year. Wembanyama is at -190 odds while Holmgren is third at +275. The Portland Trail Blazers’ Scoot Henderson is second at +225.

Wembanyama and Holmgren squared off previously, when the two represented France and the United States, respectively, in the FIBA U-19 World Cup in 2021, a game the U.S. won 83-81 despite 21 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks from Wembanyama.

That was the first time Holmgren, who won MVP honors for the tournament, and Wembanyama went at each other, and Monday certainly won’t be the last.

“It used to be excellent, in my view, I used to be feeling excellent like I had a dozen of power,” Wembanyama said. “I felt like he harm us within the first part.

“And I know it’s just preseason, but for sure the games against OKC are going to be interesting.”