Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked nine shots in just 25 minutes on Monday night, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 122-96 win over the Phoenix Suns and their ninth straight victory.
Early in the fourth quarter, the 7-foot-4 centre brought the ball up the court, crossed over Khaman Maluach several times, dribbled between his legs and then behind his back before gliding past him for an easy layup. It was arguably the fourth- or fifth-most impressive thing he did in a night full of superlatives.
The performance came just five days after Wembanyama set career highs with 52 points and 24 rebounds in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.
“It feels like where I want to be,” Wembanyama said.
A historic scoring night
Wembanyama became the second player since minutes were first tracked in 1951-52 to score 40 or more points in fewer than 26 minutes. Sleepy Floyd did it on 26 February 1991, scoring 40 points in 24 minutes.
He played like an MVP from the moment he stepped on the court, scoring 14 points in the first quarter and 22 by halftime. He scored from three-point range, mid-range and close in, and he swatted away shots at the other end with ease.
Suns coach Jordan Ott had a defensive plan for Wembanyama before the game, but it did not work.
“He just does it from all three levels right now and then anytime he has a switch, they just literally throw the ball to the top of the backboard [for a dunk],” Ott said. “When that starts, it’s so deflating and it’s tough to overcome. But he does it to everyone.”
Devin Booker, a five-time All-Star, led the Suns with 32 points, but that was not enough to match Wembanyama.
“It’s something like we’ve never seen before,” Booker said. “He can handle the ball, but his instincts for the game are off the charts, too. If he’s not blocking shots, he’s altering them so it’s a tough matchup.”
Growing into the complete player
Wembanyama, 22, has been a physical outlier since he entered the NBA in 2023, doing things almost no one else in the league can do. He is now becoming elite on the mental side of the game too, making the right decisions over and over again.
“I should keep the physically amazing things for the amazingly difficult situations, not the day-to-day,” Wembanyama said, grinning. “Opponents can’t really put me in a situation where I can’t answer, so now all I have to do is not beat myself.”
The Spurs, now 9-2, are not a one-man show. Dylan Harper scored 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter, while De’Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes also made useful contributions.
Still, the Spurs revolve around Wembanyama, and he is in the midst of the best stretch of his career. San Antonio’s winning run owes plenty to that development.
“There’s a lot of good going on. I think he’s allowing the game to unfold naturally,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s doing a great job of putting himself in positions to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of him, and his teammates do a good job as well of utilising him when appropriate.”