Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 52 points and took a career-best 24 rebounds, and the last of those points decided the game: a free throw with 24.2 seconds left that gave the San Antonio Spurs a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old also had eight blocks, seven dunks and two steals in 34 minutes at Frost Bank Center, despite battling a virus and rolling his ankle in the fourth quarter. The win was San Antonio’s sixth in a row and moved them to 6-2, while Dallas fell to 4-4 after a second straight defeat.
A 19-point lead disappears
Wembanyama had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks by half-time, in just 16 minutes and 37 seconds on the floor. He went 15-of-15 from the free-throw line in those two quarters as the Spurs built a 68-51 advantage, helped by a 19-3 second-quarter burst after Dallas had closed to within a point.
San Antonio led by 19 early in the third quarter, but their shooting gave the Mavericks a way back. P.J. Washington’s three-pointer put Dallas 103-100 ahead with around five and a half minutes to play, before Wembanyama levelled immediately with a three of his own, his only make from eight attempts beyond the arc.
Naji Marshall’s three tied the game at 111 with 1:41 remaining, and neither side scored again until Wembanyama went to the line and made one of two. Dallas had one last chance after a timeout, but Kyrie Irving missed a contested turnaround jumper with about three seconds left, with Washington open on the perimeter.
Irving led the Mavericks with 29 points on 9-of-27 shooting. Marshall added 22 off the bench and Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Cooper Flagg recovered from a 1-of-11 start to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
- Wembanyama: 52 points, 24 rebounds, 8 blocks, 16-of-28 shooting, 19-of-23 free throws
- Dylan Harper: 21 points, 5 rebounds
- Stephon Castle: 17 points, 10 rebounds
- De’Aaron Fox: 10 points
Company with McAdoo
Wembanyama is the first player to record at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in a game since Bob McAdoo in February 1974. His eight blocks are the most by anyone in a 50-point game since blocks became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season.
His first-half line also made him the first player in 30 seasons with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a single half. Only David Robinson and Tim Duncan had previously reached 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks across a full game for the Spurs, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The performance beat his previous scoring high of 50, set against the Washington Wizards in November 2024, and followed a 43-point game in a 121-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the week.
Even so, Wembanyama was more interested in what he had missed. “I can be much better,” he said. “My shots weren’t falling tonight… I can do it. I mean the proof is here I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fell.”
Harper’s assessment was simpler. “He was Superman,” the second-year guard said.
What the numbers say about San Antonio
The margin between the teams showed how much San Antonio relied on their centre. The Spurs were 23 points better than Dallas with Wembanyama on the floor and 22 points worse in the 14 minutes backup Luke Kornet played.
San Antonio shot a season-low 38.9% from the field and a season-low 5-of-36 from three-point range, with Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie going a combined 0-of-14. Castle needed 20 shots for his 17 points. They won regardless because of their size, outscoring Dallas 62-40 in the paint, winning the rebounding battle 61-50 with 22 offensive boards, and making 33 of 39 free throws.
Head coach Mitch Johnson pointed to that wider effort. “Obviously Victor’s numbers reflect a wow game,” he said. “But I thought we had some really, really tough winning plays all over the board tonight.”
Mavericks coach Dusty May acknowledged the problem San Antonio’s roster creates. “They play to their personnel well,” he said. “You just can’t come in and just do what you normally do. You have to be able to counter what they do.”
Six straight wins after an 0-2 start have put the Spurs on a strong early footing, though a side this dependent on one player’s interior dominance will want its perimeter shooting to recover. Wembanyama’s fourth-quarter ankle problem will also be monitored before San Antonio travel to the Sacramento Kings on Friday, when Dallas host the Utah Jazz.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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