Victor Wembanyama ‘Got Punked’ by OKC in Game 5, Says Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins was left in shock after Victor Wembanyama's poor showing in Game 5 of the WCF.

Victor Wembanyama ‘Got Punked’ by OKC in Game 5, Says Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins on Victor Wembanyama (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Victor Wembanyama struggled in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, scoring only four points on 27% shooting.
  • The San Antonio Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-114, giving the Thunder a 3-2 series lead.
  • Kendrick Perkins criticized Wembanyama for not playing aggressively and settling for jump shots instead of dominating as a big man.

Victor Wembanyama had arguably the worst game of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. The San Antonio Spurs center struggled to find his shots and did not have any impact in the paint.

The Spurs found themselves playing catch-up for the majority of the game. Wembanyama was left disappointed after the game, as they suffered a 127-114 loss to the Thunder in Game 5 at the Paycom Center. The win gave the defending champions a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6.

After the game, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins was shocked by Wembanyama’s poor performance.

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Wemby got punked tonight. Isaiah Hartenstein outplayed him on both ends of the floor.

Kendrick Perkins on SportsCenter

After a performance for the ages in Game 1, Victor Wembanyama put in another dominant performance in Game 4 to level the series at 2-2. Unfortunately, the former number one pick was not at his best on Tuesday night.

The Thunder did a good job of controlling the big man in Game 5. After Game 1, the Thunder decided to give more minutes to Isaiah Hartenstein to neutralize Wembanyama. Alongside Chet Holmgren, the two big men kept the French star at bay as he made just one shot in each quarter in Game 5.

Wembanyama had an inefficient scoring night, making just 4 of 15 field-goal attempts. A lot of the credit goes to Hartenstein. The Thunder center has been lucky on quite a few occasions despite his aggressive style of play while playing defense. However, it seems to be effective and working perfectly fine so far.

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Kendrick Perkins says Victor Wembanyama forgot he was a big man

It is no secret that Victor Wembanyama is an anomaly. The 7’5″ center can move like a guard and can even shoot from range. His combination of size and skill has never been seen before. But there have been a few games throughout the season in which the Frenchman fails to impose himself as a center, as he did in Game 5.

Kendrick Perkins is a center himself and has often praised Wembanyama for what he brings to the table. But after Game 5, he called out the 22-year-old for not playing like a big man.

I hate watching Wemby play when he comes into games, and he’s settled for jump shots. He forgot that he was a big man first with guard skills. When he played with force, and when he’s in attack mode, his team, the Spurs are unbeatable.

Kendrick Perkins on SportsCenter

Wembanyama’s lack of aggression was a huge reason for his struggles in Game 5. While he shot at just 27% from the field, he did not make a single three-pointer out of his five attempts. His six rebounds also showed that he was not aggressive. Meanwhile, Hartenstein had 15 rebounds, and Holmgren had 11.

Mitch Johnson issues a challenge to Victor Wembanyama after Game 5

The high stakes were high in Game 5. Hence, many expected to see Victor Wembanyama to pull off another historic performance. His poor performance was a surprise to many, especially considering how important the game was.

Isaiah Hartenstein defending Victor Wembanyama
Isaiah Hartenstein defending Victor Wembanyama (Image credits – Basket-Infos/X)

After the game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson spoke about his star player’s performance in Game 5.

[Victor’s] got to take more than 15 shots. Even with the free throws, he’s going to have to score more than 20 points for sure, Oklahoma City did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job. He’ll definitely need to take more shots, but there’s a lot of things all over the place.

Mitch Johnson in his post match press conference

The Spurs have never been in this position in the playoffs. Heading into Game 6, the Spurs will need their franchise player to deliver a huge performance and play much more aggressively.

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