Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic performance Wednesday night, but the Dallas Mavericks nearly spoiled the show.
The San Antonio Spurs held on for a narrow 112-111 victory over Dallas behind Wembanyama, who finished with career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds. The performance showcased the young star’s scoring ability and dominance on the boards as San Antonio escaped with the one-point win.
Wembanyama was nearly unstoppable from the opening minutes. He recorded 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks before halftime, becoming the first player in the NBA’s play-by-play era, dating to the 1996-97 season, to reach at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a single half.
Dallas faced a 19-point deficit early in the third quarter but responded with a strong second-half effort. The Mavericks eventually took a 103-100 lead on a P.J. Washington 3-pointer with 5:38 remaining.
Naji Marshall helped fuel the comeback, finishing with 22 points off the bench. Washington added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Cooper Flagg recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 29 points, but his contested turnaround jumper with 2.5 seconds remaining missed the mark, ending the Mavericks’ opportunity to steal the victory.
Dylan Harper contributed 21 points for San Antonio, while Stephon Castle finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The victory extended San Antonio’s winning streak to six games. Dallas, meanwhile, dropped its second consecutive game.
Up Next
The Mavericks return home Friday to host the Utah Jazz. San Antonio travels to Sacramento to face the Kings.
