Victor Wembanyama has delivered one of the most dominant performances of his NBA career, finishing with 52 points, 24 rebounds and 8 blocks in the San Antonio Spurs’ 112-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
The 22-year-old put together a historic performance, becoming the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to record at least 50 points and 20 rebounds in a one-point victory, according to ESPN.
Wembanyama also joined Bob McAdoo as just the second player since blocks became official in 1973-74 to finish with at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks.
Despite the remarkable numbers, Wembanyama revealed he had been battling an illness.
“It’s just figuring things out,” Wembanyama said. “Sometimes, you’re one step ahead. Also, I haven’t been feeling great lately. I’m sick. I felt like I got my legs back. So, it should be more like this more often.”
The French superstar wasted little time taking control, scoring 29 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and recording five blocks in the first half alone.
He became the first player in NBA history to register at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a single half.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson praised his superstar’s dominance.
“Twenty-[four] rebounds, nine offensive rebounds,” Johnson said. “Excluding the 3s, he was 15-for-20 from the field, which means he was all over the basket area and around the paint. He was a man tonight, and his teammates rewarded him quite a bit. He got rewarded in a variety of ways by just dominating both ends.”
Wembanyama’s performance also drew comparisons to Chamberlain from teammate Dylan Harper.
“He’s basically Wilt,” Harper said. “The other team tries to do everything [to stop Wembanyama]. They throw out any adjustment, every adjustment. It’s hard to keep big fella out of the paint. He’s so dominant when he screens and rolls. He knows how to get to his spots. He’s great at the free throw line. So, for us, it’s just how do we get him the ball and how do we get the low man away from him?”
Wembanyama briefly exited after rolling his right ankle in the fourth quarter but returned to score 10 points down the stretch, helping San Antonio secure the narrow victory.
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