San Antonio Spurs enjoy ‘home’ court advantage against the Indiana Pacers in Paris
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San Antonio Spurs' French forward-centre Victor Wembanyama addressing a press conference after a training session at the Accor Arena on Jan 22.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – A meeting with the Indiana Pacers in Paris on Jan 23 (Jan 24, Singapore time) might just end up feeling like a home game for the San Antonio Spurs.
Plenty of fans at Accor Arena will be rooting for Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who has established himself as a superstar after being selected first overall by San Antonio in the 2023 draft.
“The way I approach this trip is my way of giving back a little to the French public, trying to please many people who will never have the chance to go to the United States. It’s really important to me,” Wembanyama said.
It has not been all that long since he took the court in his native country, as he was a member of Team France at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Still, Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson realises that the 21-year-old phenom has a special opportunity in front of him.
“I’m sure there’ll be people at the game that haven’t seen him play in a long time or typically maybe never have,” he said.
“You know, hometown kids get to see you... maybe they’ve never been to an NBA game. So, I know there’s a lot of things, not to speak for him, that I’m sure he’s looking forward to and that are unique in a very, very cool way for him to connect.”
San Antonio have been off since Jan 19, when Wembanyama collected 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 128-107 loss to the Miami Heat. Devin Vassell paced the Spurs with 23 points in the setback.
Indiana realise that they will not be backed by the crowd on Jan 23, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is eager to play in a hostile environment as his team continue to find their footing.
“We had a hellacious schedule at the beginning (of the season), probably in large part due to the Paris trip and everything being compressed. That’s challenging, but it hardens your resolve and makes you tougher,” he said.
The Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024, went through a pair of three-game losing streaks and a four-game skid as part of a rocky start to the 2024-25 campaign, before the calendar flipped to January. However, they have recently found a groove, going 8-1 in their past nine games.
Pascal Siakam finished with 21 points and was one of six Indiana scorers in double figures in a 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan 18. Myles Turner recorded a double-double (18 points, 11 boards) as the Pacers overcame a rough night from Tyrese Haliburton, who had only nine points on four-of-11 shooting.
Paris is not all that foreign to Haliburton. Like Wembanyama, he spent a portion of his off-season at the Olympics, helping the United States men’s basketball team reach the gold-medal game.
There, the Americans topped France 98-87 in the same arena that will be the site of the battle between Indiana and San Antonio. Haliburton did not play in the Olympic final, but has been chasing the feeling of winning a championship ever since.
The guard said: “I think the biggest thing is once you start to feel what it’s like to win a little bit, once you feel the importance of success, you want more of it.”
The Pacers and Spurs will meet again in Paris on Jan 25 before returning to the United States. REUTERS
