Victor Wembanyama bounces back with second career 5x5 game

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Wembanyama's performance marked only the 23rd 5x5 game since the NBA began recording steals and blocks in the 1973-74 season. 

The only other active NBA players with 5x5 games include Nicolas Batum (2013), Draymond Green (2015), Anthony Davis (2018) and Jusuf Nurkic (2019). However, none of those players have repeated the feat as the Spurs center did on Thursday. 

Wembanyama was off to a relatively slow start to the season, tallying only 20 points combined in the Spurs' two losses to the Thunder and Rockets earlier this week. The historic outing on Thursday may have been the turning point for him to resume his exploits from his logic-defying first-year campaign that saw him become the first rookie to make an All-Defensive First Team, besides countless other firsts. 

However, Wembanyama is not getting carried away, telling the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn that he needs to do more to help his team. 

"It tells me I need to get my standards up when I don’t get 5x5s because I am able to help my team in all those areas," he said after the game. "It should be a consistent thing. As I have said before, it is something we must have, something I must have more often to help my team."

It's worth noting that the Spurs defeated an 0-5 Jazz team without its best player, Lauri Markkanen, who is dealing with back spasms. The 2-3 Spurs next host the Timberwolves on Saturday.