Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after they defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-120 at Frost Bank Center on April 12, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.Photo: Ronald Cortes / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Spurs edged the Denver Nuggets 121to 120 Friday night. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 34 points. The Spurs are back in action for their final game of the season Sunday afternoon at 2:30.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich
(On the team’s win…)
“A win is a win. Really proud of them. They played a great second half, but they've done that all year. They don't give in. Obviously with a lot of guys not there, we had a lot of people pick it up. Devonte’ [Graham] was great, David Duke was great, Julian [Champagnie] was great. A lot of people played well. Zach [Collins] played well. Victor [Wembanyama] is Victor. He did a lot of good things but couldn't happen without everybody else doing what they did out there. Sandro [Mamukelashvili] was awesome. So, you just go right down the line. Everybody contributed. They deserve it. They should all go get a beer or a Coke, whatever they do. Be careful. Then, one more game.”
(On Devonte’ Graham…)
“He’s better than Kerr and Ferry. When they didn't play a whole lot when they were here. And then when we needed them, they came in played and helped us win the championship. So, he was the same cloth, the same species. He busted his ass all year long. He was always ready. I'm sure he didn't like it, but he was always there for his team. And down the stretch, he's got to play a little bit more and he's shown that you know, he's still a player.”
(On the team celebrating the win…)
“A lot of teams have been in this position, [and] they just die out. These guys, you can tell they enjoy each other, they love each other. They know they're getting better individually and as a group. That's where I get my satisfaction. Just watching them react the way they do fantastic.”
Spurs Guard Devonte’ Graham
(On how satisfying his game-winner was…)
“It was very satisfying. We come out and play hard, compete against anybody. [Head Coach Gregg Popovich] is always saying he doesn’t care who’s on the floor, who's playing, who's not. He told us before the game he doesn’t care if old Manu Ginobili goes out there and play, he expects everybody to play hard. So, that's just what we try to do.”
(On what it means to end the game like that…)
“I've been in a lot of games like this and made some big buckets before, but I think you have to shout out guys. Mamu had an unbelievable game, Obviously, Vic has been doing this all year. But we were down 25 And Zach came in the huddle and told us to pick our energy up. I think that was our turning point and we went on a run from there.”
Spurs Forward Victor Wembanyama
(on what it meant to see Devonte’ Graham’s moment…)
“It was great. The whole thing. Even the play, [coaches] not calling a timeout because they trust him. I think this there's a story behind this. Even this win is just great for him and great for all of us to see that from him.”
(On celebrating wins despite a year full of losses…)
“It just made every win even more special, and I think this one puts us ahead of Portland if I’m not mistaken. So, it's little things like that. But as a growing team, young team, it's big for us. And yes, we're going to need these kind of wins in the future. We're going to any win but big-time wins against big teams, first seeds. We're going to need those in the future.”
Spurs Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili
(On how he felt at the end of the game… )
“I was very happy for Devonte’. That’s my brother. He’s a pro. He stuck with it and never complained. He just came in and stayed ready for this moment. To be honest, I would be happy for everybody, but I’m very happy for Devonte’, because I feel like he deserves it, and he’s a great player.”
(On the impression he left with the fans and front office following his recent performances…)
“I hope I left a good impression. I would say I’m in an unbelievable spot. When I was young, I was dreaming of this position, so I never took anything for granted. I’m not the guy who holds grudges or anything or gets upset at home. I know I’m in the best situation I can be in. I go home every day to see my dogs and come in, and I have a big facility to work out in, and I have great teammates to be around and a great coach to learn from. So, that’s all I really want. Sometimes you won’t play, sometimes you will. The one thing I know, every time I play, I’ll execute, compete and play with heart. It doesn’t matter how many games I play, I’ll come in and be ready.”