Takeaways: Spurs Fall Short As Curry Drops 49

SAN ANTONIO – The Spurs were a stop, a bounce, and a breath away from a signature NBA Cup victory. Instead, Stephen Curry snatched it from them.

Despite a dominant two-way performance from Victor Wembanyama and a late defensive stand that electrified Frost Bank Center, San Antonio fell 109–108 to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, dropping to 1–1 in group play.

For much of the night, the Spurs dictated pace, physicality, and—at times—the emotional tone. Wembanyama was brilliant. De’Aaron Fox was steady. The team weathered a chippy fourth quarter and controlled long stretches of the final frame. But against Curry, sometimes even that isn’t enough.

With San Antonio clinging to a 108–107 lead in the final minute, Wembanyama delivered the moment Spurs fans will remember long after the result fades. Jimmy Butler knifed to the rim with 33 seconds left, only for Wembanyama to erase the attempt with a soaring block that exploded inside the arena. It was the latest in a line of “only Wemy” plays this season—perfect timing, perfect positioning, impossible to replicate.

But the Spurs couldn’t turn the stop into points. Fox’s 17-foot pull-up rolled long, and Golden State seized its chance to escape the Alamo City with another win. With six seconds left, Fox bumped Curry on a drive, and the Warriors star sank both free throws for two of his 49 points to put Golden State up one. Fox’s contested 18-footer at the horn missed, leaving the Spurs staring at another “almost” game against one of the league’s most seasoned closers.

"Obviously, the emotions at times can ride high with the wins and losses, and that's we're in the business of, but we'll get back to work and continue to try to get better," Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.

Here are three takeaways from the Spurs' loss to Golden State:

Wemby shines despite chippy duel

If Friday was another moment in Wembanyama’s evolution, he passed it convincingly. The 7-foot-4 forward finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 38 minutes, controlling the game on both ends and absorbing Golden State’s defensive attention.

His duel with Draymond Green reached a new flash point in the fourth quarter, when officials were forced to separate the two three different times during an inbounds sequence. Seconds later, Wembanyama rose over Green for an inbound alley-oop dunk that sent Frost Bank Center into a frenzy—only for officials to wave off the basket, citing a foul before the catch.

“It's not trying to prove anything to anybody," Wembanyama said of the moment. "It's just, at some point, somebody speaks to you a certain way, you have to respond a certain way.”

Missed chances burn

Fox finished with 24 points and 10 assists, attacking the Warriors’ defense throughout the night and finding comfort in late-clock situations. Julian Champagnie added 14 points and continued to show off his floor-spacing role, while the Spurs’ defense forced Golden State into several momentum-stalling possessions.

But the offense dried up late. San Antonio’s final three shots—two from Fox, one from Wembanyama—missed their mark. In a game this tight, those inches mattered.

"I think there are times we get a little loose with the basketball," Johnson said of the missed chances. I think we played too much against the clock and way too many turnovers and points off turnovers."

Taking a step forward

The loss stings—the kind that sits with a young team for days. But the Spurs left the floor having matched Golden State punch for punch, outplayed them for long stretches, and demonstrated yet again that their ceiling rises as Wembanyama’s responsibilities grow.

The Spurs are now 1–1 in NBA Cup play, but they know they let an opportunity slip.

Even so, Friday offered something else: proof that San Antonio can go toe-to-toe with a battle-tested contender in a playoff-style environment—exactly the kind of stage the NBA Cup is designed to create.

"We need to be more disruptive," Wembanyama said. "We didn't take away what we should've."

Up next:

The Spurs are now 8-4 on the season and will return to the court on Sunday afternoon when they host the Sacramento Kings at 3 p.m. CDT from the Frost Bank Center.