Spurs Beat Wizards Amid Career-High From Wemby

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Nov 13, 2024 10:35 PM ET

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, winning 139-130. From the jump, the game was all Victor Wembanyama, who made his first three shots, including two straight 3-pointers.

In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama was greeted by MVP chants from the home crowd, and for good reason. He finished with an impressive 50 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. He made 8-16 of his 3-point shots and set a career-high in points. He is the eighth Spur to ever score at least 50 points. He hit the 50-point mark after only 26 minutes of playing time, becoming the fastest player in NBA history to hit that mark.

Outside of Wembanyama, five Spurs scored double-digit points. Rookie Stephon Castle added 10 points and five assists from the starting lineup, although Washington's rookies Bub Carrington, Alexandre Sarr, and Kyshawn George all outscored him. Still, Castle is proving himself to be a two-way asset.

In his third game of the season, Devin Vassell scored 17 points and shot 1-8 from distance.

The Wizards enjoyed a solid outing from their young core, but they were led by 25-year-old Jordan Poole's 42 points. With a solid outing from young key players, the Wizards, who are tanking for the best pick possible in the 2025 NBA Draft, are likely happy with the result of this game.

In a dramatic twist, Poole and Chris Paul got tied up with 37 seconds left and the Spurs up by eight points. Poole mishandled an offensive rebound, tipping it out of bounce, and Paul, in a rush to inbound the ball, ripped it from Poole, who was complaining to the referees. Jeremy Sochan, in street clothes, laughed at Poole and got involved in the scuffle, although no fouls were called after the review and the Spurs would go on to win.

It cannot be overstated: the main takeaway from this game was Wembnayama's dominant and historical performance. His eight makes from 3-point range was one short of the Spurs' all-time record, set by Chuck Person in 1997. At 7-4, he offers talent levels and versatility never before seen at the NBA level, and not just on the defensive end.

The Spurs will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in their next game, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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