SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Victor Wembanyama turned in the biggest game of his career Wednesday night, piling up 52 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocked shots as the San Antonio Spurs survived a late Dallas rally and won 112-111 at Frost Bank Center.
The deciding point came at the line. With the score tied at 111 and 24.2 seconds to go, Wembanyama made one of his two free throws. Dallas used a timeout to draw up a final look for Kyrie Irving, but his jumper from about 17 feet missed with four seconds left and the clock ran out during the scramble for the loose ball.
Wembanyama did much of his damage before the break. By halftime he already owned 29 points, 15 boards and five blocks, the Spurs were up 68-51, and he had made all 15 of his first-half free throws. During one Dallas possession late in the second quarter he swatted three shots, turning away Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks trailed by 19 early in the third quarter before storming back, and a Washington three-pointer put them ahead 103-100 with 5:36 left, their first lead since the opening quarter. Wembanyama answered with his lone three of the night to tie it and scored 10 points down the stretch. He finished 16 of 28 from the floor and 19 of 23 at the line, with seven dunks and two steals.
Irving led Dallas with 29 points on 9-of-27 shooting. Naji Marshall added a season-high 22, Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Flagg recovered from a 1-of-11 first half and ended up with a 19-point, 10-rebound, five-assist line. San Antonio got 21 points from Dylan Harper, 17 points and 10 rebounds from Stephon Castle and 10 from De’Aaron Fox, and won the rebounding battle 61-50.
No NBA player had produced a game with those numbers in half a century, putting Wembanyama alongside Bob McAdoo and Wilt Chamberlain. He said afterward he had been feeling a bit under the weather. Spurs guard Dylan Harper said the Spurs simply need to keep getting him the ball near the paint, where he is nearly impossible to stop, and it was the top individual line on a 14-game NBA slate.
The Spurs have won six in a row and are 6-2. Dallas has lost two straight, falls to 4-4 and hosts Utah on Friday.
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