The San Antonio Spurs were down by two points with less than seven seconds left in Game 1 on Monday night.
Julius Randle, who made a clutch bucket with under a minute remaining, had the ball in his hands. He missed a jumper that would have given the Minnesota Timberwolves a four-point lead.
Dylan Harper got the rebound and passed to Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs had a timeout, but coach Mitch Johnson decided not to use it.
Wemby passed the ball back to Harper, who found Julian Champagnie on the elbow. He baited Naz Reid on a great pump fake, freeing himself up for the wide-open 3-point shot.
However, Champagnie’s shot was wide to the left and hit the front of the rim at the buzzer as the Timberwolves earned a 104-102 win and 1-0 series lead.
Julian Champagnie Comments on Missed Game-Winner
GettyJulian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on May 04, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Julian Champagnie was immediately asked about his wide-open attempt at the end of the game. Champagnie had a great look, but he shockingly missed despite shooting 57.1% from beyond the arc this offseason.
The forward wasn’t bothered by the miss, and he’s ready to redeem himself in Game 2.
“It felt pretty solid,” Champagnie said, via Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. “Yeah, that’s all I got for you. Felt pretty solid. Missed a shot. Going to the next (game).”
Champagnie finished the game with 17 points and seven rebounds. He was 3-for-6 from 3-point range before that miss at the buzzer.
Despite the missed opportunity, his teammates were very supportive after the game. Several players, including Victor Wembanyama, immediately consoled him as they headed back to the locker room.
Coach Mitch Johnson Explains Decision to Not Call Timeout
GettyMitch Johnson head coach of the San Antonio Spurs shows his frustration during game against the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Frost Bank Center on April 12, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Even though he had another timeout, coach Mitch Johnson let his players play on the final possession of Game 1. Johnson told the media after the game that he liked what Dylan Harper did to get the defense off balance and found Julian Champagnie for the wide-open shot.
“On the last play, we got a rebound and it felt like they weren’t organized,” Johnson said, via BasketNews. “There was enough time for us to push the ball and get a look. We didn’t push it right away, so it got to that point where you have to decide whether to call a timeout or not. I thought Dylan did a good job pushing the ball and kicking it ahead to Julian.”
The coach added, “Julian had a fly-by, got a three-pointer in rhythm, and I had no problem with the shot. That was a great shot. I hope he shoots it every time.”
Victor Wembanyama put the loss on himself for being bad offensively in one of the best defensive games in NBA playoff history. Wemby recorded a single playoff game record of 12 blocks, but he went 5-for-17 from the field to finish with just 11 points.
Game 2 of the series is on Wednesday, still at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
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