Rich Reacts to Victor Wembanyama’s Game 5 Domination of the Timberwolves

The San Antonio Spurs are one game away from facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, and Rich is ready for what he called good eats.

The reason that game looks set up is what Victor Wembanyama did in Game 5 against Minnesota.

"Eighteen first-quarter points," Rich said. "And it wasn't even close last night."

Wembanyama finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. The play of the night was a ball-fake-and-spin that put Rudy Gobert through the wash.

"He was spinning around two different ways before he dished it," Rich said.

Chris Webber has been calling Gobert the Stifle Tower on the show. Rich kept the framing.

The bench piece Rich could not stop talking about was Dylan Harper.

"I love watching him play basketball," Rich said. "Twelve and 10 off the bench, and he is a meme machine. His facial expressions are fantastic."

The reaction Harper had to Wembanyama's spin pass made it everywhere.

"NBC should have a Dylan Harper camera," Rich said.

The flagrant Wembanyama drew earlier in the series got revisited.

"I will tell you, I did see two Spurs fans making fun of Timberwolves fans about crying over an elbow," Rich said. "That elbow was not right. But I understand he's trying to defend himself. I get it. He's being mugged all over the place."

The Wolves are in trouble. They head home down 3-2 and need a win to force a Game 7.

The headline of Rich's segment was the secret weapon now operating inside the Spurs. Gregg Popovich met Wembanyama at the airport when he returned from Minnesota after his ejection.

"Pop showed up at the airport," Rich said. "He greeted Wembanyama when he arrived fresh back from getting ejected from Minnesota. And talking to him, just standing there delivering a message."

Wembanyama, asked about it after the game, did not give the room everything.

"I'm not going to leak anything he said, obviously, but he maybe wanted to make a statement, or make his talking even more impactful by being there," Wembanyama said. "But he gives feedback and talks to us regularly throughout series, throughout games. So, as always, when he speaks, everybody listens."

Rich got to the image. A 22-year-old comes off a plane, and there is Popovich.

"It's like freaking Yoda shows up to personally deliver a message to you," Rich said. "This is not going to be a phone conversation. This is not a Zoom. This is not a FaceTime. I'm going to put myself in a car where obviously he doesn't get around very easily, and I'm going to stand there, and you get off the plane, I'm going to be there, and I'm going to say something to you."

The pre-series ask from inside the Spurs locker room had been about which version of their star showed up. One coach called for upset Vic. Mitch called for mature Vic. The cast asked Wembanyama if he preferred either label.

"They ain't mutually exclusive," Wembanyama said. "So really, I'm looking for both."

Rich liked that answer.

"Mature and angry," Rich said. "Pissed Vic. Why not, man? Good luck. There's no one like him."

The Western Conference Finals matchup, if it happens, is the one Rich has been picturing.

"Don't you want to see him versus Chet?" Rich said. "Yeah, they hate each other. It's awesome. Then they'll throw Hartenstein at him. Then they'll run Lu Dort at him."