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Michael C. Wright, ESPN Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ star, delivered his 12th career 30-point performance, and his first this season, leading his team to a commanding 116-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Wembanyama racked up an impressive stat line: 34 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks in his 82nd career NBA game. This accomplishment solidified his position as the sixth player in league history to accumulate 1,700-plus points, 800-plus rebounds, and 300-plus assists over his first 82 contests. The 20-year-old joins an elite group that includes legends like Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Wicks, Larry Bird, and Blake Griffin.
“He makes shots every day,” Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “There were some good shots he missed early in the season, and I understand why it’s a talking point. But we never doubted his shooting ability. It’s just the percentages evening out.”
Wembanyama showcased his shooting prowess against the Kings—who were playing on the second night of a back-to-back set—connecting on 6 of 23 three-point attempts to match his career high in made 3s set Saturday in a close 111-110 home loss to the Utah Jazz. He nailed two of his first three attempts from beyond the arc in the opening quarter and drained another two in the second, keeping the Spurs on track.
Defensively, Wembanyama recorded another impressive performance, chaining together his fifth consecutive game with three or more blocks, tying for the second-longest streak of his career. This feat only falls short of the nine-game run he accomplished last season from February to March. One particularly notable block came against three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.
“Domantas is a top five center in the league; his stats speak for themselves,” said Barnes, who played alongside Sabonis in Sacramento. “For Vic to take this challenge tonight, a lot of times guarding him one on one, was a big-time effort against a big-time player.”
Veteran point guard Chris Paul continued to make his mark, contributing 12 points and 11 assists for his 531st career double-double, placing him third among guards since the NBA-ABA merger behind John Stockton (714) and Magic Johnson (615). Paul has already accumulated four games with 10 or more points and 10 or more assists after finishing last season with just five such performances in 58 contests.
“I think it was one of those nights where we got back to our strengths,” Wembanyama said. “We needed points, and we also had guys we knew who to go back to.”
