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 Centre, 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 just 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, helping the Suns, led by their star tandem of Kevin Durant and the back-from-vacation Devin Booker, to overcome the deficit.
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The Spurs made sure to not let their lead slip though and scored 12 unanswered points, 10 of which came from Wembanyama. The No. 1 overall pick was totally dominant, shooting 15-for-26 from the field, making three triples and controlling the paint on the offensive end by frequently taking advantage of smaller defenders in the post.
That 19-year-old Wembanyama has only played in five NBA games is astounding.
Following the match, Wembanyama declared, "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 during 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 stated, "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.
