Victor Wembanyama produced another historic display on Monday night, scoring 40 points with 11 rebounds and nine blocks in just 25 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 122-96 for their ninth straight win.
The 7-foot-4 centre did much more than pile up numbers. Early in the fourth quarter, he brought the ball up the court, crossed over Khaman Maluach several times, dribbled between his legs and behind his back, then glided past him for an easy layup. It was arguably only 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. He became the second player since minutes were first tracked in 1951-52 to score 40 or more points in under 26 minutes, joining Sleepy Floyd, who managed 40 points in 24 minutes on February 26, 1991.
Wembanyama was dominant from the opening minutes, scoring 14 points in the first quarter and 22 by halftime. He scored on 3-pointers, jumpers and dunks, and he swatted away shots at the other end with ease.
Suns coach Jordan Ott had a defensive plan for him before the game, but it failed to 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 a team-high 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 an elite mind
The 22-year-old has been a physical outlier since he entered the NBA in 2023, doing things that almost nobody else in the league can do. Now he is also becoming elite on the mental side of the game, 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.”
More than a one-man show
The Spurs, now 9-2, received strong contributions beyond their star. 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.
San Antonio still revolves around Wembanyama, and he is in the midst of the best stretch of his career. Winning so many games is no surprise given his 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 utilizing him when appropriate.”