Sports
Spurs mull bringing Wemby off bench in Cup final
LAS VEGAS — Victor Wembanyama played limited minutes off the bench in San Antonio‘s win over Oklahoma City in the semifinals of the Emirates NBA Cup on Saturday, and Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the team might employ a similar approach in Tuesday’s championship game against the New York Knicks.
“It’s going to be a mix of different opinions,” Wembanyama said Monday. “But I’m ready. Even I will have my own opinion [about what to do]. It will also be based on my thoughts and the thoughts of the staff. I just said a bunch of nothing. But basically, we’re going to discuss it.”
Wembanyama came off the bench Saturday for the first time in his career after missing 12 games because of a left calf strain. He played 21 minutes against the Thunder, racking up 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, when the rest of his teammates combined for 18 points.
Wembanyama didn’t check into the game until the start of the second quarter, when Oklahoma City led by 11 points. Wembanyama had three rebounds, a tip-in layup and an assist on Dylan Harper‘s 3-pointer in his first three possessions. The Spurs’ center went 2-of-3 from the floor in the second quarter for five points as San Antonio cut the Thunder’s lead to three points at halftime.
“I know Vic wanted to get out there and play more, but we’re focused on his long-term [health],” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “I trust in Mitch 100 percent. They had the perfect plan. I know they talked about it over and over, and we executed it. As soon as Vic came in, he had the impact that we needed.”
A similar strategy could unfold Tuesday against the Knicks.
“It’ll be something that Victor and I will continue to talk through,” Johnson said. “It’s hard. He wants to play. He wants to start. He wants to finish. Wherever you put some minutes, that means you have less over there. We still have to think about what’s best for the team, unfortunately. That decision can’t be made in a vacuum, even though it’s a very impactful and influential decision. We still have to make sure it fits with the other rollout of who’s playing with who and how that affects others.”
Wembanyama is still eligible for major individual awards despite the time he has already missed. Even though the NBA Cup championship game won’t count in the standings, it counts toward the NBA’s 65-game rule for awards.
The Spurs attempted to maximize Wembanyama’s minutes restriction in the NBA Cup semifinal game. After playing a little more than seven minutes in the first half, Wembanyama played 13:20 after halftime.
“We’re not at a stage where we will be unintentional with his minutes, whether that’s volume over time [or] long stints,” Johnson said. “But we want to make sure we’ve learned or continue to learn from what has happened. That doesn’t mean we have the answers. But we don’t just say, ‘Oh, now we’re back,’ or whatever. We are still learning and want to be very mindful of that.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoff matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on his official X handle.
However, Naqvi cautioned that the permission “comes with an important condition from his side that fans are strongly encouraged to use public transport or minimise fuel consumption while attending the matches, in line with the ongoing national austerity efforts”.
Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well.
However, this comes with an important condition from his side that fans are strongly encouraged to… pic.twitter.com/SXtyhrIBpF
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) April 27, 2026
“He also conveyed his best wishes to all four teams competing in the PSL playoffs. Looking forward to some exciting and entertaining cricket ahead,” he added.
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