The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 in Saturday's thrilling NBA Cup semifinals, but their star player still believes the team is in catch-up mode when it comes to the reigning champions.

The successor to Gregg Popovich is his own man, and his fingerprints were all over the upset win over the league-best Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals.

Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence dealing with a calf strain. He made it back in time for the NBA Cup semifinals. It was a good experience for the Spurs as they will likely punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time with their young group this year.

Victor Wembanyama watched the free throw shooter enter his routine several times Saturday night. Only twice was he waiting to react. As the ball l

This article originally published at Mitch Johnson noncommittal about whether Victor Wembanyama starts or comes off bench for Spurs in NBA Cup final.

LAS VEGAS — There was a moment during Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal game between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder when it started to feel like Victor Wembanyama’s return was a ruse.