For one night, Victor Wembanyama looked less like a rising star and more like a force the Mavericks simply couldn’t solve.
San Antonio beat Dallas for the second time this season, and this time the story was all about Wembanyama’s monster line: 52 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks. It was a career-high scoring night for the Spurs’ superstar, and a massive jump from the first meeting between the teams, when he still stood out with 23 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Dylan Harper gave San Antonio another strong lift, even if his performance got overshadowed by Wembanyama’s eruption. The sophomore finished with 21 points, attacked the rim with ease and went 7-for-10 on shots in the paint. Through the early part of the season, he’s been the league’s most effective finisher at the rim, and on Wednesday he outplayed his draft classmate.
Dallas had its own shot-maker keeping things alive. Kyrie Irving, facing the Spurs for the first time in two seasons, delivered a vintage outing with 29 points and five assists.
He carried the Mavericks in stretches and kept them within striking distance, but the lack of consistent help outside the fourth quarter left Dallas short. If Irving had gotten more support earlier, the result could have been different.
Cooper Flagg was in the mix this time after missing the first matchup, and San Antonio made it clear it wasn’t overly concerned about who was across from it. Before the game, Stephon Castle said, "I don't think it really matters who's on there," Stephon Castle said before the game.
"I don't think it really matters who's on the other side of the court. I think it's really us."
Flagg finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7-of-19 from the field. Over five games against the Spurs, he’s hitting 44 percent from the floor, compared to 47 percent for his career.
Dallas did make things interesting. The Mavericks erased a 19-point deficit in the third quarter and even grabbed a brief lead in the fourth before San Antonio steadied itself. The game had the feel of a team that is ahead of schedule and capable of hanging with one of the West’s better clubs, even if Wembanyama eventually slammed the door.
There was one uneasy moment late, though. With nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama appeared to tweak his ankle, though he stayed in the game.
San Antonio won’t get much breathing room. The Spurs don’t have two days in a row of rest until December, so health and durability are going to matter. Next up is Sacramento on Friday, when the Spurs open NBA Cup play.
In Other News...
Dylan Harper Said What Spurs Fans Are Starting To Believe About Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyamas latest night was the kind that forces even hardened NBA observers to stop and reset their expectations. He put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks and two steals in 34 minutes, a line so rare it put him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever reach at least 50 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. It also kept the Spurs rolling, pushing their winning streak to six and lifting them to 6-2.
For a young roster trying to find its identity, the bigger takeaway may be how quickly Wembanyama is turning awe into routine. Dylan Harper was among the teammates who came away sounding like fans, praising Wembanyamas dominance and drawing the Chamberlain comparison himself, which says plenty about the standard being set inside the locker room. The question now is less about whether Wembanyama can take over a game than how far San Antonio can ride nights like this while the rest of the league keeps trying to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Is Putting Dallas Through The Exact Show Spurs Fans Dreamed Of
Victor Wembanyama made the Spurs matchup with Dallas feel like a showcase from the opening tip, and by halftime he had already piled up a line that looked more like a full game than a first half. The rookie center scored 29 points on 7-for-12 shooting and added 16 rebounds, two assists, three steals and six blocks, giving San Antonio exactly the kind of two-way dominance its fans have been imagining since he arrived.
The Mavericks tried to keep pace through Kyrie Irving, who had 17 points and four assists, but Wembanyama kept bending the game in San Antonios favor on both ends. For a Spurs team still building around its new centerpiece, nights like this are a reminder of how quickly he can change the tone of a game, and how uncomfortable he can make even a veteran opponent look when the matchup tilts his way. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyamas Historic Night Still Left Him Frustrated With One Thing
Victor Wembanyama delivered the kind of performance that can reshape a game and a conversation at the same time, piling up a career-high 52 points with 24 rebounds and eight blocks to lift the Spurs past Dallas, 112-111. It was the sort of night San Antonio has been waiting to see from its franchise centerpiece, especially with the rest of the roster struggling to keep pace offensively while the Mavericks kept clawing back into it.
Even after all that, Wembanyama did not sound like a player fully satisfied with the finish. He pointed to a few late-game details he wanted back, including missed free throws and the way he handled some screen-setting sequences, a reminder that his standards are already set well beyond a box score that most players would celebrate for weeks. For the Spurs, the win mattered most, but the frustration attached to it may be just as telling about where their star thinks this group still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]