Victor Wembanyama nearly led the San Antonio Spurs all the way back in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs star was silent in the first half but erupted in the second half with 29 points and 9 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as the New York Knicks held on to win 105-104 to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Spurs had plenty to ponder following the narrow loss before heading to Madison Square Garden. While the spotlight naturally fell on the chaotic final seconds, the Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson pointed to a different issue that concerned him far more after Friday night’s loss.

Mitch Johnson Calls Victor Wembanyama’s First-Half Shot Volume ‘not acceptable’

Johnson talked about Game 2 the day on June 5. He said Wembanyama needs to do at the start of the game. In the half of the game Wembanyama only took four shots. By halftime, he had seven points and five rebounds. Turned the ball over two times.

Johnson thinks everyone is responsible for what’s happening now. The coaches need to find ways to give Wembanyama chances. The team members need to notice these chances. Wembanyama needs to find ways to score a lot even when the other team is trying to stop him. Johnson wants Wembanyama to be more effective in the game, at the beginning. The team needs to work to help Wembanyama play better and the coaches need to help the team do this. Wembanyama needs to find ways to score when the defenders are trying to stop him from scoring.

“I have to make sure that there’s environments that the ball finds him. I think he’s got to make sure that he can’t rely on that to get shots as well..”

Mitch Johnson on why it was so difficult for Wembanyama to get involved offensively in the first half:

"I have to make sure that there's environments that the ball finds him. I think he's got to make sure that he can't rely on that to get shots as well..

But yeah 4 shots in the… pic.twitter.com/W19jgUY14L

— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) June 6, 2026

The slow start has become a problem in the series.In Game 1 Wembanyama struggled to get going against the Knicks strong frontcourt, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, who made it hard for him to score easily.

Wembanyama is averaging 27.5 points through two Finals games. His shooting hasn’t been great. He’s making 41 percent of his shots from the field and the Knicks defense is making it tough for him.They’re always on him making it hard for him to get a good look. 

However, Wembanyama showed aggression in the second half of the Game 2. He scored 22 out of 29 points during the second half. Also played a key role in ensuring that the Spurs got a chance to reverse the huge margin between them and their rivals. However, the Spurs lacked the prowess to win the game.

It is quite disappointing for the Spurs because they have made significant mistakes, one of which resulted in losing the game. It took Wembanyama making a foul with the ball just when time was about to expire followed by failure to score a winning goal in the process. Wembanyama blamed himself for costing Spurs to lose the game after the game ended.

For the Spurs to win in the next game, things will not be easy. No team has ever come back and won the title following losses in the first two games at their home ground.