All the hot balls at the end of the match passed through his hands. Frenchman Victor Wembanyama delivered a high-flying performance on Thursday, November 2, by scoring 38 points and allowing the San Antonio Spurs to maintain, in the final moments, a hard-won advantage but threatened by the Phoenix Suns.
Already winners two days earlier on the floor of the Arizona franchise, the Texans won 132-121 to switch to a positive record with three victories and two defeats.
The French prodigy, “drafted” in first position by the Spurs in June, therefore achieved his first coup during his fifth NBA game, against one of his idols, Kevin Durant. And that's what the Spurs needed to hold off the comeback of the Suns, who erased a 27-point deficit by tying the score at 116-116 with less than five minutes remaining in the game.
Composure during “money-time”
The Texans then responded by scoring the next 12 points, including 10 by their French number one who, in total, made 15 of his 26 shots − including 3 of 6 at 3 points −, took 10 rebounds − including 8 defensive − and offered two assists.
“He’s a multi-faceted player,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He has confidence in himself. He did incredible things,” he appreciated.
The Frenchman's composure at the end of the match was impressive. The 19-year-old scored a 3-pointer, three free throws, a dunk and a mid-range basket in the money time. He finished as the match's top scorer, having previously scored between 11 and 21 points per game.
“Someone has to do it,” said the one who donned the hero’s costume. Tomorrow it might be one of my teammates. »
Last in the Western Conference last season (22 wins, 60 losses), San Antonio had an unexpected start to the season, with the youngest squad in the NBA. The Spurs will return to their home arena on Sunday for the reception of the Toronto Raptors.
