The Phoenix Suns enjoyed by far their most impressive win of the season on Sunday, as they beat the San Antonio Spurs 130-118. In doing so they handed the Spurs their first loss, managing to keep superstar Victor Wembanyama quiet in the process. The French phenom has rightly vaulted to the top of the list for MVP honors, but this was his worst display of the season.
The Suns holding "Wemby" to nine points and nine boards, while he also finished with a game rating of minus three. But how did a team that has been among the worst in defensive rating so far this season and was missing their captain on that end in Dillon Brooks manage to achieve this? It was all down to the game plan and it was perfectly executed.
Suns frustrated Wembenyama with smaller players and soft double.
Right off the bat it was apparent the Suns were going to put smaller and quicker players to try and slow down Wembanyama. Royce O'Neale was the person largely tasked with doing this, despite not being known as a plus defender and certainly not the first name you would put on a surging star like Wembanyama.
"Don't let that catch be easy."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 3, 2025
Jordan Ott on defense as Suns took on challenge of keeping Victor Wembanyama from getting the ball in desired spots.
Spurs phenom only 9 points in Suns win.
"Tonight was a good test on how we protect the paint and it was a good job overall."… pic.twitter.com/cuuZfoSSZx
But an offensive foul in the first quarter that O'Neale drew on the Spurs big set the tone. As a result of being that bit smaller he caught an elbow to the head, with the Suns getting the call. Just as important to this strategy - and it surely would have thrown the Spurs off seeing O'Neale on him so frequently - were the "soft doubles" that were sent his way through Ryan Dunn.
This was Dunn's best performance in a Suns' jersey all season - and potentially ever - as he also had 17 points and went 3-of-4 from deep. Defensively he was a standout however, always keeping tabs on where Wembanyama was on the court. If he felt he could cheat off his man and go for the double, then he did.
This again paid off early in the contest, as Dunn came across for a double team as Wembanyama rolled to the basket. This allowed center Mark Williams to get a rare block on the giant, which had the whole crowd into the game. It's not that the Spurs don't have a plan B - and this method isn't likely to be as impactful when the sides meet again - but they struggled without their star leading them.
It felt like he has been so inevitable in the early goings of the season that as soon as he needed his teammates to step up and take over possessions, they struggled to do so. There is something to having a perceived "lesser" defender initially mark Wembanyama, with the longer Dunn roaming nearby to help as needed.
The Suns also did an excellent job of communicating when to make the switch on Wemby, as in transition he was able to break free of the shackles the Suns put on him. When the fast breaks broke down Phoenix quickly regained their shape, with a defender glued to him and Dunn nearby. Best of all, this is without doubt a way to beat other opponents as the seasons progresses. A brilliant win.