Tonight, the NBA Cup reaches its end as the New York Knicks take on the San Antonio Spurs in the Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, one thing caught everyone off guard: despite being cleared to play, Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the second game in a row, playing small minutes over the first half.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported pregame that Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson indicated that Wembanyama will come off the bench tonight as well and is expected to play similar minutes to those in his previous game, around 20.

“We’re going to be mindful of this indefinitely,” Johnson said in an interview. “He’s competitive. We have to, at times, be the… logical brain to take the emotions out of it and say, ‘you know what, we’re going to save you from yourself here.'”

The center played just under 21 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in the semifinals, playing the second-lowest minutes in his career while leading the Spurs to a win against the defending champions. He scored 22 points and logged nine rebounds and two blocks along with a team-high +21 plus/minus, completely shifting the game’s momentum.

Wembanyama has publicly expressed support for his coach’s decision, admitting that he “would have come back earlier” if he were making the decisions himself, but he trusts the team’s staff to manage his injuries and is trusting the process.

Over the course of the season, he should be able to ramp up to his season average of 33.6, and even if he doesn’t play heavy minutes, he’s bound to make a difference whenever he’s on the floor.

Victor Wembanyama Returns, San Antonio Spurs Go Full Strength at the Perfect Time

Tonight’s NBA Cup final is a proving ground between two teams peaking at the right time. The Knicks have won nine of their last 10, fueled by a blistering Jalen Brunson, who logged four consecutive thirty-point games, including 40 against the Orlando Magic in the Cup semifinals.

Brunson has been surgical all tournament, honing shot creation, footwork, and patience.

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On the other side, the San Antonio Spurs punched their ticket to the finals by beating the 24-1 Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, coinciding with the return of Victor Wembanyama.

After missing 12 games with a calf injury, Wembanyama dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points in the period, leading the team to its most impressive win of the season.

This was also the first time all season the team had its core of Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper all available, a combination that delivered in the clutch.

Now, as the game between the Spurs and the Knicks heads into the fourth quarter, only one team can take the NBA Cup championship home. Only time will tell which of these two will take the prize.