AUSTIN - With a fraction of a second left in the third quarter Tuesday, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama caught a lob from De'Aaron Fox and threw down the sort of dunk he could pull off in his sleep.
He didn't so much as crack a smile.
It was Wembanyama's first field goal of the season, coming on his 13th shot attempt with the Spurs trailing Oklahoma City by double digits.
By then, the 22-year-old All-Star barely recognized the player he had been or the game he usually dominates.
"I need to go back to playing the basketball I like," Wembanyama said. "This is not the sport I like right here. I've got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself."
Wembanyama's opening night was one for the record books, and not in a good way.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman began his fourth NBA season with 12 consecutive misfires, the most to open a game in his career. He finished 1 for 13, an 8% shooting performance that marked a career low.
Wembanyama will get his next chance to find his footing Friday, when the Spurs head to Austin for a neutral-site showdown against the rough-and-tumble Houston Rockets at the Moody Center.
His teammates aren't sweating one ugly night.
"It was the first game of the season," guard Stephon Castle said. "We all know Vic will find his rhythm. That's not something we're really worried about."
There is evidence to support that theory. Indeed, Wembanyama's opening-night pratfall seemed to come out of nowhere.
A year earlier, Wembanyama began what became a breakout 2025-26 campaign by torching Dallas for 40 points and 15 rebounds.
Oklahoma City hadn't been much of a problem, either. Wembanyama shot 52.4% from the field in five regular-season meetings with the Thunder last season, averaging 18.4 points. He was even better in the playoffs, averaging 27.3 points on 48.1% shooting during a seven-game Western Conference finals showdown.
Then came Tuesday's 116-104 defeat, when Wembanyama couldn't even buy a basket with the $252-million contract extension he inked over the summer.
"I missed a lot of shots I usually don't miss," Wembanyama said. "But after that, I didn't go back to these shots and I wasn't decisive."
The Thunder came into the night intent on keeping Wembanyama guessing.
NEXT GAME:How to watch Spurs vs. Rockets, who's starting, who's out
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City's 7-foot-1 forward, more than made up for a rough showing in last season's conference finals by giving Wembanyama one of his toughest defensive nights yet.
The Thunder routinely crowded Wembanyama's driving lanes with extra defenders, keeping 7-foot center Isaiah Hartenstein stationed near the rim as a final line of resistance.
Even rookie Aday Mara got in on the act. The 7-foot-3 Spaniard, whom Oklahoma City selected 12th overall in June in part to help address the Wembanyama problem, had his moments, too.
"We had the perfect balance of providing help, putting him in a crowd, discipline on the ball, but not hemorrhaging in other parts of the floor," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said.
In Wembanyama's estimation, his opening night struggles were mostly between his own ears.
He admitted to "overthinking" his way through OKC's approach.
"I don't need to do more," Wembanyama said. "I need to think less."
Fox said the other Spurs can help Wembanyama shut off his brain.
When the Spurs play fast, they can catch an unset defense off guard and find Wembanyama easy looks at the rim he doesn't have to create himself.
"Whenever he's able to get those easy baskets, then you see the highlight plays," Fox said. "If we can make it just a little bit easier for him, I think that's when you start seeing the 40, 45 points, the step-back 3s. That's when those things will happen."
Even as Wembanyama's shooting touch deserted him Tuesday, his defensive instincts remained intact.
The NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year dominated that end as usual against the Thunder, blocking six shots and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama salvaged a poor shooting night by making 10 of 12 free throws and ended with a dozen points.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson wasn't inclined to pin the season-opening loss on his star center's shooting woes.
"I thought it was a pretty well-rounded poor effort by all of us," Johnson said.
The Spurs are counting on Wembanyama to bounce back against the Rockets, but that might be easier said than done.
Like the Thunder, Houston boasts enough size and length to pester Wembanyama, starting 6-11 Alperen Sengun at center, 6-10 Jabari Smith Jr at power forward and 6-10 Kevin Durant at small forward.
Under coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets have shown little interest in letting Wembanyama operate in comfort. They are perfectly willing to get physical, crowd his space and make every touch a tug-of-war.
For Wembanyama, his shot at redemption might have less to do with what the opposition throws at him than how he responds to it.
The solution, he insists, is straightforward.
All he has to do is trust his instincts, be himself and get back to playing the sport he loves.
"It's as simple as that," Wembanyama said.
Friday in Austin, Wembanyama has a chance to prove it.
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Victor Wembanyama's plan for rebound from dud against Thunder? Keep it simple.