Nobody expected a November game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors to feel like a playoff grudge match. Still, yesterday’s NBA Cup showdown was a regular-season thriller, culminating in one moment. Off an inbound pass from Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama threw down a lob over Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Even if the basket didn’t count, the image stuck, setting off a heated exchange. However, the seeds of the confrontation had been sown early.

During the third quarter, Green tried to go up on Wembanyama and got blocked twice in a row. He immediately turned to officials after a stoppage, yelling, “That’s a foul!” but got nothing. Wemby couldn’t help himself, laughing as Draymond shouted, even engaging by telling the referee, “You’re not gonna give him a tech?” That small spark was enough, and from then on, every exchange carried extra weight

Green got his revenge in the fourth, returning the favor on Wembanyama with a clean block, and then staring him down when a loose-ball foul was called. The two stayed physical as the ball was preparing to be inbounded, with Green telling officials, “We good,” almost daring them to intervene. The Spurs center didn’t back down, replying, “I don’t care,” refusing to de-escalate. Wembanyama was unfazed, and as the leaked audio later revealed, leaning into the confrontation.

After the lob, the two faced each other, with Draymond telling Wemby, “You’re a–, n—-,” and Victor quickly fired back, saying, “On your head!” Green then yelled back, “You’re trash, n—-,” before the two were swarmed by teammates, separating them to prevent an escalation.

The clash became more chaotic as the game continued. On the dunk that didn’t count, Draymond picked up his fourth fouled, and quickly picked up a fifth on the very next play. After the foul, Green stared at Wemby and said, “You’re trash,” with tempers rising on both sides.

After the game, Wembanyama said in the post-game interview, “It’s not trying to prove anything to anybody. For me, at least, when somebody speaks to you a certain way, you respond a certain way, that’s just how it is.” Against Draymond Green, one of the league’s loudest enforcers, Wemby showed that he had no intention of backing down.

Wembanyama’s Late Push Meets Curry’s Final Answer in NBA Cup Thriller

Stephen Curry showed out for the Golden State Warriors, lifting them to a one-point win in San Antonio with 49 points, pulling the team back from a 10-point fourth quarter hole almost single-handedly. Golden State clicked yesterday: Gary Payton II flew in for loose balls, Jimmy Butler had timely shots, and young piece Will Richard performed well as a starter. Even head coach Steve Kerr chipped in with a pre-game speech.

Victor Wembanyama tried his best, logging 26 points, 12 rebounds, and the tip-in that gave San Antonio a 108-105 lead, and a weak-side block that nearly sealed the game. De’Aaron Fox also performed well, recording 24 points and 10 assists. But everything unraveled in the last few seconds.

Curry drove with 6.4 seconds left, absorbed contact, and dropped in free throws to give Golden State the lead. Fox had a shot at the buzzer, and the high-arcing floater bounced on the rim twice before rolling off. It capped a night where Golden State weathered out a 47-45 halftime grind and a major late-game deficit.