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Michael C. Wright, ESPN Staff WriterDec 20, 2024, 01:41 AM ET
- Joined ESPN in 2010
- Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com
- Played college football at West Texas A&M
SAN ANTONIO — Finger by finger, Devin Vassell counted the “wow” moments executed by Victor Wembanyama in his 42-point gem Thursday night that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 133-126 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks.
“The pass to Jeremy [Sochan], I sat there and said, ‘There is no way.’ Way,” Vassell said, laughing. “Then, obviously he throws it off the glass [to himself]. Are we playing in our backyard or are we playing in the NBA?”
Regardless of venue, Wembanyama’s performance proved near otherworldly. He became the first player in NBA history to connect on seven 3-pointers while totaling 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks in the same game. The 20-year old also joined Joel Embiid (November 2022) and Karl-Anthony Towns (December 2018) as the only players this century to rack up 60 points, 10 assists and 10 blocks in a two-game span.
Wembanyama capped the latest milestone in dramatic fashion against the Hawks by scoring eight of San Antonio’s 13 points in overtime, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and making both 3-point attempts. Wembanyama’s 29-footer off a Chris Paul assist with 1:52 remaining in overtime gave San Antonio the lead for good.
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Wembanyama now finds himself tied with Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker for the eighth-most 40-point games in franchise history (3).
“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his sheer size when he’s demonstrative, playing with conviction, where he is going to get the ball to the spots he wants to get to, and nothing’s going to stop him.”
Atlanta certainly struggled to do so in an opening half in which Wembanyama scored 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, with three blocks. Thursday night’s game marked the first time all season every player on San Antonio’s roster was healthy and available to play.
The Spurs took advantage, inserting Vassell into the starting lineup for the first time this season while moving rookie Stephon Castle into a reserve role. Vassell scored 23 points while going 5-of-7 from 3-point range, with four assists and two steals, as San Antonio tied a season high with 35 points off Atlanta’s 23 turnovers.
“It felt like a big relief,” Wembanyama said of the Spurs finally playing with a healthy roster. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still questionable. So, we were like, ‘Is it the day, finally?'”
Yes, it was. But it also turned out to be Wembanyama’s night.
Over a span of 3 minutes, 4 seconds in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama served as the catalyst for 11 straight points, scoring nine on his own in a variety of ways — from the mid-post, near the bucket and out to the 3-point line — before closing the explosion with an alley-oop to Jeremy Sochan, who laid it in with his back turned to the basket.
One possession before, Wembanyama stumbled down the lane as time ticked off the shot clock with Clint Capela defending and teammate Julian Champagnie standing under the basket. Wembanyama tossed an alley-oop to himself off the backboard for a two-handed poster jam that left teammates still in awe well after the final buzzer.
“Sometimes, you just feel it,” Wembanyama said of the freelance nature of the play. “I think the way we read their coverage was good, and having good spacing to leave space on the isos [was good]. I think it was a combination of things. There’s not one answer, but the fact we’ve adapted to the different types of defenses [teams are playing], this is what I’m talking about.”
Paul, meanwhile, finished with 12 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, scoring his first basket of the night in the third quarter. Paul’s pullup jumper early in that frame registered as his first made field goal since the opening quarter of Friday’s win at Portland.
Paul shot 4-of-4 against Atlanta, including a 25-foot pullup jumper to put the game on ice with 19.5 seconds left. It was Paul’s fourth career game with 10-plus points on 100% shooting from the field.
Still, all Paul could talk about afterward was Wembanyama.
“That was wild,” Paul said, recalling Wembanyama’s self alley-oop. “We were just talking about it in the locker room. I saw Julian [Champagnie] cut and I thought he was about to pass it to him. When I saw him put it off the backboard, I was like, ‘Damn, what is Vic doing there?’ I tell you, just about every night he does something that you’re like, ‘Damn, that’s why they talk about him all the time.'”
