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It turns out generational prospects can have off nights, too.
Victor Wembanyama finished with just eight points and seven rebounds as his Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 suffered an 87-64 blowout loss to AS Monaco Basket in Game 1 of their LNB Pro A championship matchup on Saturday.
The game was even a lot uglier than its final score. Monaco carried a 52-21 lead into halftime and was ahead 34 points through three quarters before Metropolitans 92 mounted a light comeback in what amounted to garbage time.
Wembanyama was uncharacteristically quiet on both ends of the floor, attempting just eight field goals and blocking only one shot on the defensive side.
NBA @NBA
Wemby block to open the game 🚫
Watch Game 1 of Metropolitans 92’s LNB Finals matchup against AS Monaco, LIVE on the NBA App!
Even with Wembanyama on the roster, Metropolitans 92 came into the championship series considered underdogs.
Monaco, the only club in Pro A not based in France, has been a regular-season darling in recent years but has consistently fallen short in the playoffs. This was the fifth time in the last eight regular seasons that Monaco has finished with the best record, but the club is yet to win a championship. The series will resume with Game 2 on Monday.
By holding Wembanyama in check, Monaco’s core made a statement that things might not always go easy for the presumptive No. 1 pick once he makes his debut stateside. That said, there’s nothing that will stop the Wemby hype train at this point.
