標籤: credit

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is fully aware of his growing niche in the NBA. He expects his team to finish near the top of the league standings. And after essentially serving as the buzzer-beater against the Phoenix Suns, he made it clear he thinks nothing is possible without his Spurs teammates.

“We’ve got former Clutch Player of the Year De’Aaron Fox, so that’s a big component of it,” Wembey said of his young team’s success in close games. “We have talented guys all around. We can put five offensively talented guys on the court at any time in the game, so that makes a lot of sense. The fact that we don’t have experience can work in our favor.”

From 22 wins two years ago to 34 wins last season, San Antonio has not only clinched a playoff berth, but is already one of the best teams in the league despite its youth.

“It’s not a meaningless game. I should say it’s a meaningful game, close to the playoffs, so it’s a good test right now,” Wembanyama said of the 101-100 win against Phoenix.

“The good thing is I can feel like we’ve formed habits and that’s on both sides of the field, especially defense. Now we just have to work without even thinking about it too much, and we know each other, and we can anticipate. And it looks the same on film. That doesn’t mean our play was perfect. Far from it, I think it was actually below average, but it’s a good test, especially this time of year.”

Victor Wembanyama details his buzzer-beater vs the Suns

Vembanyama’s jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining proved as subtle as it was effective.

“It was hard to keep up with all the excitement around me,” Vembanyama admitted. “The fans were looking at me. This guy spilled wine on me, and this, by the way, was before the game was over. I made the shot, I came back to defend and hit a guy, and now I have wine on my shorts. There was a lot going on. I didn’t see all my teammates come forward in a second. It felt like I was stuck in the crowd.”

However, Short himself could not trick Wembley.

Vembanyama said, “This is a shot I worked on. It’s everything.” “Our game plan is not inventing things, so it’s all things we’ve been working on. This shot, in particular, is a shot I’ve been working on with (assistant coach) Tim Martin, so it’s nothing new.”

The Spurs trailed most of the time against Phoenix. Vembanyama did his best to ensure they did not fall behind again after their last-second effort.

“In this situation, you want to wait,” the two-time All-Star said about his approach on that final Spurs offensive possession. “If you take the shot too early, whether you make it or miss, you’re shooting yourself in the foot because the defense will probably get the rebound and have some time or inbound and have some time. So, you want to shoot it as close as a second or two. That way if we miss we have a chance to get an offensive rebound, and if we make it, they don’t have time.”

Devin Booker’s half-court heave missed at the buzzer, giving the Spurs their 52nd win in 70 games.

On Tuesday evening, the Detroit Pistons continued their winning ways with an impressive win over the Washington Wizards. It was a monster game for big man Jalen Duren, who scored a career-high 36 points in the road win.

After the game, Duren turned the spotlight on his teammates after his epic night.

“I’m just trying to do what my teammates and my coaches tell me. It’s not all about me. I think my teammates put me in places to be great. JB puts me in places to be great. It’s just credit to him, man,” Duren, formerly of the Detroit Free Press, said on Twitter, per Omari Sanfoca II of the Detroit Free Press.

In fact, the Pistons have done a great job of playing as a collective unit this entire season, and Duren’s emergence on both sides of the ball has played a huge role in their success as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

Recently, the Pistons were on a four-game losing streak, leading some fans to wonder whether the team was beginning to lose energy as the season went on, or whether concerns about Detroit’s lack of perimeter shooting were proving justified after all.

However, since then, Detroit has been able to get back on track, albeit not against the toughest competition, and have regained their grip on the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

To carry that success into the postseason, the Pistons will likely be leaning even more on Duren to get things done around the basket as things slow down in a playoff setting.

The Pistons will take the field for another match against the Wizards on Thursday evening.

QPR’s Nicolas Madsen has praised Julian Steffen for his improvement in his overall game.

talking to dan bold On the huge impact it had on the manager’s QPR career.

He joined the London club from KVC Westerlo in August 2024, when Martí Cifuentes was in charge at Loftus Road. That time, the midfielder said The QPR move was a step up for him.

Madsen’s preferred position is in the middle of the pitch, while he can also operate as both a defensive and attacking midfielder.

Change of position at QPR

Cifuentes primarily used him as an attacking midfielder, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 34 matches in all competitions in his first season.

QPR parted ways with Sifuentes and appointed Stephen as his successor in June 2025. The Frenchman has used him in his preferred role this season and it has helped improve his form.

The midfielder has scored three goals and provided six assists [three more than last season] Out of 33 matches so far this season. It is indicative of the progress they have made under the current QPR boss.

“With the new coach, I play in a slightly different position than last season. That’s also helped me perform better. I really think since the beginning of the season, things have gotten better and better. And I’ve really grown into the role that I have now.” He said.

“Last season, I played 10, which probably didn’t quite suit me. But now I’ve played a mix between 6 and 8. I’m a little freer at center to play according to my instincts. It’s made me feel a little more comfortable and where I’m able to put myself in situations where I can perform at my best.”

Stephen’s huge influence

The QPR player gives huge credit to Stephen for reviving his QPR career.

“Yes, we’ve got a new coach, who has done a lot for me personally. I’ve generally gained more confidence and have taken advantage of the opportunities at the start of the season, which has meant I’ve been given a much bigger role this season.” Madsen explained.

Matheus Cunha has publicly defended Ruben Amorim and insisted that credit for Manchester United’s recent improvement should still be given to the Portuguese coach.

talking to DAZN PortugalCunha explained that he feels Amorim’s influence is visible, even though United have now entered a new phase under Michael Carrick.

“I was always very grateful for everything Ruben did,” Cunha said. “When things change, it’s very easy to see what came up only as problems. But it’s quite the opposite – he was an incredible person.”

There is weight in those words. Amorim’s magic at United divided opinions. The results were inconsistent. Strategic debates dominated the coverage. Yet Cunha suggests that internal perception was very different from external noise.

pressure and perception

Cunha pointed directly to the pressures surrounding Amorim’s tactical system.

“The pressure on that system to deliver was so great that we forgot how simple the overall context was and focused too much on the negative.” he explained.

In other words, the investigation may have overshadowed the structural work being done behind the scenes.

Importantly, Cunha also highlighted recruitment. “A lot of new players came in because of him. So I think he’s a big part of the success we’re having now.”

This is an important claim. This implies that the current movement under Carrick is not entirely different from that of the era of Amorim, but is partly a continuation of the foundation already laid.

more than just structures

Cunha also downplayed Amorim’s allegations obsession with strategic shapes.

“To be very honest, I think football numerology is very confusing,” He said. “We attack in different ways and end up defending in the formation that everyone says is Ruben’s.”

That comment subtly reinforces his broader point. Systems evolve during matches. Structures change. What matters is harmony and understanding.

For Manchester United supporters, this provides an interesting inside perspective. Amorim’s tenure cannot be remembered solely through results or structures. According to Cunha, his cultural and squad-building influence still shapes United today.