Victor Wembanyama definitely likes to receive his compatriots. After signing his career record against Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards), the Spurs interior gave Zaccharie Risacher's Hawks a bad evening. “Wemby” offered one of the best individual performances of his career with 42 points, the biggest total of the night in the NBA, while contributing as only he knows how to do. Which allowed him to join Tony Parker in the annals of Spurs.
This is his third game with 40 points or more in San Antonio colors, and it brings him level with Tony Parker, with the eighth highest total in franchise history. Wembanyama built this new card throughout the match, from a roaring start to an apotheosis-style finish. The 2024 “Rookie of the Year” was already at 14 points in just over seven minutes spent on the floor in the first quarter. Then 24 units at the break, on the pace of his XXL match against Washington.
Spectacular and decisive
In a match as close as the one against the Hawks on Thursday, Victor Wembanyama had to excel to keep his team up at the end of the match. The Habs did it in their own way, with a passage where he was involved in eleven Spurs points in three minutes, including the action of the evening: a pass for himself against the board before dunking just before the buzzer of 24 seconds.
“ It was crazy! »reacted Chris Paul at a press conference. “ I saw Julian cut towards the circle, I thought he was going to pass the ball to him. When I saw him throw the ball against the boards, I was like, what the hell is he doing? Almost every evening, he does something like only he does. » « I had seen Julian yes, to go to the rebound » smiled Wembanyama.
WEMBY TO HIMSELF https://t.co/rdDFPpUXbg pic.twitter.com/88UjVbW3KS
— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2024
The work was not finished, the fault notably of DeAndre Hunter who put Wembanyama on a poster to equalize eleven seconds from the end. An action which ultimately served Spurs and their star more. “ It definitely helped to be in that state of mind, a little angry » Victor Wembanyama admitted to the media. “ We don't forget this kind of action. […] Getting dunked on it happens. Four blocks tonight, a dunk… It's okay. It woke us up, like a booster shot. »
This was beneficial with Wembanyama on fire during overtime, and author of two new 3-point shots (7/15 in total for the match). With eight of the Spurs' thirteen points during the five additional minutes, the Frenchman was decisive and finished with 42 points, but also 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. “ This is one of his matches where we have the feeling of having played as we should. » welcomed the MVP of the match. “ Even if we lost balls, we pressed where it hurt them. This is clearly a step in the right direction. »
This success is all the more important as it keeps San Antonio in the play-in wagon, with 14 victories, like the Wolves, the Suns and the Warriors.
