The win allowed the Pacers to split the two-game series while showcasing the brilliance of their young star, Tyrese Haliburton, who turned in an outstanding performance. Haliburto

On Thursday in Paris, the Indiana Pacers gave Frenchman Victor Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs all they could handle... for about one half of their first of two classes in the All-Defensive First Team center's home country.

One person who is very aware of the challenges that Wembanyama presents is Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who recently had high praise for the sophomore superstar ahead of the matchup with the Spurs, per the NBA on X.

It won't happen, and nobody knows when — or if — Popovich will be back on the Spurs' sideline. Popovich's absence is a glaring one in Paris this week for the pair of NBA matchups between the Pacers and Spurs on Thursday and Saturday; he's back home, recovering from a November stroke.

On Thursday, the Indiana Pacers lost the first of their two games in Paris against the San Antonio Spurs, falling 140-110. Victor Wembanyama, cheered on by his hometown crowd, scored 30 points and blocked five shots in a dominant two-way performance.

The San Antonio Spurs and C Victor Wembanyama wrap up their trip to Paris splitting their series against the Indiana Pacers after losing 136-98 on Saturday.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks up at the screen to watch a replay video Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, during an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Victor Wembanyama’s standout play for the San Antonio Spurs this season has already caught the attention of NBA insiders, with a rival head coach predicting that the young French center will earn a significant honor this year.

If Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is going to remember anything from his Paris trip, it is not the iconic landmarks, but the adrenaline rush he experienced with the police escort to the Accor Arena for an NBA game against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

They’ve seen the Eiffel Tower. They’ve had great food. They’ve enjoyed some of the best that Paris has to offer.

San Antonio outscored Indiana, 45-23, in a third frame annihilation that essentially ended the game. Carlisle: "I don't know if we've ever given up that many points in a quarter, even when we were ...

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs' new master plan were immediately planted.