Victor Wembanyama had the greatest game of his brief NBA career, scoring 38 points, dishing out 10 rebounds, and dishing out two blocks to help the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Phoenix Suns 132-121.
With their game on Tuesday at the Footprint Center, this was the Spurs and Suns’ second meeting in Arizona this week. That night, the Spurs also prevailed, overcoming a 20-point deficit to win on a last-second jumper, but the rules of Thursday’s game were quite different.
The Spurs were fast off the starting line, defeating the Suns by 19 points in only the first quarter. They led by 27 points at one point in the first half and were up 75-55 at the intermission.
But Phoenix had the opportunity to make a comeback this time. With just more than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a Keita Bates-Diop three-pointer tied the score at 116, enabling the Suns, led by their star tandem of Kevin Durant and the back-from-vacation Devin Booker, to overcome the deficit.
Wembanyama scored ten of the Spurs’ 12 unanswered points as they made sure not to let their advantage go. The first overall choice, who shot 15 for 26 from the field, made three threes, and routinely took advantage of lesser players in the post to dominate the paint offensively, was absolutely dominating.
That 19-year-old Wembanyama has only played in five NBA games is astounding.
Following the match, Wembanyama said, “The NBA has the best athletes on the planet.” But things are going rather nicely so far.
We look for the sweet spot where we can inflict damage on them throughout every game. It might be this way now, and someone different tomorrow. That’s how elite teams function.
After the game, 2014 NBA MVP Durant lavished accolades on his youthful opponent, telling reporters that basketball had never seen a player quite like Wembanyama.
In response to criticism of similarities between himself and the Frenchman, Durant said, “He’s his own player, person, he’s going to create his own lane.” “He’s not like any player that has ever played at all. He will forge his own path, no matter how hard you attempt to compare.
With 31 points, nine rebounds, and thirteen assists, Booker, who had missed the previous three games due to an injured ankle, almost missed a triple double. Durant scored 28 points.
The Suns, who are still missing All-Star guard Bradley Beal, fall to 2-3 while the Spurs go to 3-2.
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