Spurs Escape New Year’s Eve Thriller 134-132 Despite Wembanyama Injury Scare
You could practically hear the collective heartbeat of San Antonio stop with just under 11 minutes left in the game.
It wasn’t the scoreboard that caused the sudden silence inside the Frost Bank Center, even though the New York Knicks were pushing the Spurs to the absolute limit in a frenetic, high-scoring affair. It was the sight of the franchise, the alien, the future of the NBA—Victor Wembanyama—sliding awkwardly on the hardwood.
When Wembanyama’s left foot slipped, and his knee appeared to hyperextend, the air left the building. He hobbled off, leaving a 134-132 victory hanging in the balance. While the Spurs eventually secured the win to snap a two-game skid, the night was defined by a cocktail of exhilaration, terror, and ultimately, relief.
A Collective Hold of Breath for the Spurs
Before the injury, Wembanyama was putting on a clinic that was efficient even by his extraterrestrial standards. In just 24 minutes of action, he had racked up 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He was dominating the paint and stretching the floor, hitting a milestone that speaks to the evolution of the game: his 300th career 3-pointer. He reached that mark in just 138 games, faster than any 7-footer in the history of the league.
But when he went down, none of that mattered. The image of him limping toward the locker room is the kind of thing that haunts a fanbase. Fortunately for the Silver and Black, the crisis appears to have been averted. Wembanyama returned to the bench later in the fourth quarter, walking without a limp and cheering on his teammates. While the medical staff will surely take a close look, the fact that he was up and smiling suggests the Spurs dodged a massive bullet entering 2026.
Champagnie Enters the Record Books
With Wembanyama out of the game and the Knicks surging, San Antonio needed a hero.
Julian Champagnie didn’t just step up; he caught fire. In a performance that will be talked about for a long time, Champagnie exploded for a career-high 36 points. But it was how he scored that broke the Knicks’ back. He was lethal from deep, draining 11 three-pointers to set a new franchise record.
The rim must have looked like the ocean for Champagnie, particularly in the fourth quarter when the Spurs needed offense desperately. He poured in 12 points in the final frame, including four triples that helped erase a double-digit deficit. It was a shooting display that kept New York at arm’s length just as Jalen Brunson was threatening to steal the game.
“When he has it going, we just keep trying to find him,” teammate De’Aaron Fox said of Champagnie’s hot hand.
Brunson and Knicks Push Until the Final Buzzer
The Knicks, to their credit, refused to go quietly into the New Year’s Eve night. Jalen Brunson was his usual tenacious self, finishing with 29 points and 8 assists. The Knicks‘ offense was humming, shooting nearly 48% from the field and getting solid contributions from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson, who each added 20 points.
The end of the game was pure chaos. With the clock ticking down and the Spurs trying to ice it, Keldon Johnson coughed up a turnover, leading to a Brunson steal. Brunson immediately pulled up and buried a clutch 3-pointer as time expired. It made the final score look close, but it was just a fraction of a second too late to change the outcome.
Luke Kornet also chipped in with a putback layup in the final minute, but the Knicks just couldn’t get the one defensive stop they needed when Champagnie was launching from deep.
What This Win Means for San Antonio
This was a character win for San Antonio. They gave up 45 points in the first quarter and looked like they might get run out of their own gym. They fell behind by double digits. They lost their best player to a terrifying injury scare.
And yet, they found a way.
The Spurs showed resilience that hasn’t always been there in recent years. They weathered the storm of New York’s high-powered offense and the emotional blow of seeing their star go down. Snapping a two-game losing streak is nice, but winning a game like this—gritty, high-pressure, and chaotic—does wonders for a team’s psyche.
The Spurs now look ahead to a Friday matchup against the Indiana Pacers. All eyes will be on the injury report regarding Wembanyama’s knee, but for tonight, San Antonio can celebrate a thrilling win and the emergence of Julian Champagnie as a legitimate threat from beyond the arc.
