Wembanyama Soars, But Hornets Steal the Show in Charlotte
Victor Wembanyama has made a habit of delivering jaw-dropping moments early in his NBA career, and Saturday afternoon was no different. The 7-foot-4 phenom added another poster to his growing highlight reel, this time with a thunderous alley-oop slam over Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel. But while the dunk lit up social media, it was the Hornets who walked away with the win-and the last laugh.
The play came early in the second quarter, when Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper lofted a perfectly timed lob toward the rim. Wembanyama rose up, snatched the ball above the outstretched arms of Knueppel, and threw down a vicious two-handed dunk that sent the San Antonio bench into a frenzy. It was the kind of play that reminds you just how rare Wembanyama’s combination of size, athleticism, and coordination really is.
Still, as electric as that moment was, it didn’t shift the momentum. Charlotte responded with a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Spurs 35-17 and flipping the game on its head. Despite a strong start from San Antonio-who led 30-26 after the first-the Hornets seized control and never gave it back, closing out a 111-106 win in front of their home crowd.
For Knueppel, the dunk was a tough pill to swallow, but it didn’t overshadow his growing impact. The first-year sharpshooter has quickly become one of the standout rookies from the 2025 draft class, and his shooting has been a big reason Charlotte is in the thick of the play-in race.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He shot 6-of-15 from the field but converted all four of his free throws. It wasn’t his most efficient outing, but he remained a presence on both ends of the floor.
Harper, who tossed the alley-oop, led the Spurs in scoring with 20 points and two assists. Stephon Castle added 16 points and a team-high nine assists, continuing his strong playmaking stretch.
Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell chipped in 13 points apiece, with both also pulling down five boards. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes rounded out the double-digit scorers for San Antonio, each finishing with 11.
The loss drops the Spurs to 32-16 on the season, still good for third in the Western Conference. They remain two games ahead of the Houston Rockets and 2.5 up on the Phoenix Suns. But with the Denver Nuggets just half a game ahead and the Oklahoma City Thunder 5.5 games clear at the top, every game counts in the race for playoff positioning.
For Wembanyama and the Spurs, the highlight dunk was a reminder of the star power they have. But Saturday also served as a wake-up call: in this league, no matter how high you fly, it’s the scoreboard that ultimately matters.