“When he’s ejected, it’s a different team”: a rogue Victor Wembanyama has Embiid pinned in the NBA

We knew him to be intractable in defense, prolific in attack and decisive in key moments. We discovered last night, during a narrowly lost match in Philadelphia (111-106), that Victor Wembanyama could also be cunning and vicious. In a few minutes in the heart of the second quarter, he drove the 76ers crazy and caused the exclusion of two of their players: first of all André Drummond, a sanction finally canceled on video, then especially that of Joel Embiid, the star of the Pennsylvania team.

There remains a little more than two minutes to play in this first half when the two players, who could have been partners in the French team if Embiid had not ultimately opted for Team USA before the Olympic Games, find themselves in a new situation. times face to face. The 76ers pivot pushes Wemby with his arm, who collapses into his sitting position. The foul is whistled but Embiid does not accept it. He starts shouting at the referees, who immediately send him out, triggering enormous anger from the Philadelphia player, his eyes bulging and having to be held back by several members of the staff.

Drummond whispers to him that he is “soft”

« Le scouting report (analysis of the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses) had shown us that when he is ejected, it is a different team, assumes Wembanyama. But even without him, they played pretty well. » A few minutes earlier, Wemby had already made friends in Philadelphia by playing a game of cat and mouse with André Drummond. A first fall to the ground by the Frenchman causing a first technical foul for the 76ers player. Then, on the same action, while Drummond whispers to him that he is “soft” (cozy)a new fall from Victor Wembanyama, and a second technical foul for Drummond, sending him to the locker room. An exclusion finally canceled, the referees reversing their decision after viewing the video.

“He stepped on my foot, that’s why I fell, can’t we see it in the video? », asks Wemby after the meeting. One thing is certain: the French giant has learned to play with the referees and get fouls. He doesn’t seem to mind taking on the role of the villain in hostile rooms. “I’ve seen a lot worse, that’s nothing,” he commented after the match, even though he was whistled and booed throughout the match, every time he touched the ball.

Tasty reunion Wemby – Yabusele

His match? Once again impressive, while Philadelphia had, as often, played the physical card to weaken it. Wemby, awarded a few hours earlier with the honorary trophy for best player of the week in the Western Conference, scored 26 points (including 6 of 13 at three points), and once again achieved a harvest of blocks: 8, most of them ( 7) in the first half. The 76ers ended up realizing that there was no point in challenging the Frenchman in the circle. “Good luck to those who try!” », snorts Spurs winger Julian Champagnie.

The meeting was also notable for the tasty duel between the two French basketball players who had fascinated France during the Olympic Games. Guerschon Yabusele did not give up and for a moment we thought we saw him in the same state as during the Olympic final lost to the United States, where he had posterized LeBron James. Yabusele scored 17 points, including 9 three-pointers (3/5), but above all he was the only one who was able to compete with Wemby. From the first quarter, Guerschon rises and against Victor. “Blocked,” the 76ers account quickly tweeted, in French of course. He then scored a basket from afar against his compatriot, then slammed a powerful dunk in the second half, where everyone moved aside in front of him. “Guerschon played against Wemby and he knows him,” analyzes Nick Nurse, the 76ers coach. He put her body in front of him, making everything difficult for him. »

“Just playing against him for a month and a half this summer certainly helped,” confirms Yabusele. I kind of know what he likes to do on the field and what he doesn’t like. » “Yabu is a great guy,” adds Philadelphia leader Tyrese Maxey, decisive with his 32 points. He did lots of different things. He played in many positions, he was a starter, a substitute, he did everything the coach asked him. You can only love someone like that. » Last night, during the opposition between two of the most prominent teams in the NBA, two of the best players were French.