Wembanyama scores 52 and carries the Spurs past Dallas by one point
· BehindLines newsroom
Victor Wembanyama had the biggest night of his NBA career: 52 points and 24 rebounds, both personal bests, plus 8 blocks, as San Antonio beat Dallas 112-111 on Wednesday 4 November, according to the three sources consulted. It was the Spurs' sixth win in a row.
A historic first half
According to NBC DFW, the Frenchman had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks before the break. The outlet says he is the first player since detailed tracking began in 1996-97 to reach at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in a single half. Sports Illustrated adds that Wembanyama and Wilt Chamberlain are the only two players in league history to put up 50 points, 20 rebounds and 8 blocks in one game. San Antonio led 68-51 at halftime, per Field Level Media.
A tight finish
The Spurs were up by as many as 19 before Dallas fought back. The Mavericks went ahead 103-100 on a three-pointer from P.J. Washington with 5:38 left, then Naji Marshall tied it at 111-111 with 1:41 to go. Wembanyama gave his team the lasting lead with a free throw at 24.2 seconds. Kyrie Irving, who scored 29, missed a short jumper in the lane in the closing seconds and time ran out.
The rest of the box score
For the Spurs, Dylan Harper added 21 points, Stephon Castle 17 and De'Aaron Fox 10. For Dallas, Marshall finished with 22 off the bench, Washington with 21 and Cooper Flagg with 19. Harper summed up his teammate's night this way, per SI: "He's basically Wilt." Wembanyama said he had not been feeling great in recent days, according to the same article.
What to take away
The win lifts San Antonio to 6-2 after an 0-2 start, per SI. Dallas has lost two straight, Field Level Media notes. The Spurs play next at Sacramento on Friday 6 November, per NBC DFW.
The game was played on Wednesday 4 November (NBC DFW and Field Level Media). The sources differ on Wembanyama's late free-throw record, so we have not detailed it.