Skip to content

Wemby's career-best 38 points hold off late Suns rally

Garrett Ellwood / National Basketball Association / Getty

Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama had the best performance of his young NBA career, scoring 38 points in his San Antonio Spurs' 132-121 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

Wembanyama was dominant in all aspects, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal while making 15 of his 26 shots, including three of his six 3-point attempts.

The Frenchman is the third teenager in NBA history to put up at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in a game, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant, according to StatMuse.

Wembanyama's 38 points are the third-most a rookie has ever scored in Spurs history, behind 41- and 39-point performances from Hall of Famer David Robinson. His 103 points through his first five games have also only been matched by Robinson, per NBA History.

"He's a multifaceted player," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said postgame, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn. "He'll pass it to the open guy, but he has got confidence in himself and he made some plays that were unbelievable."

The Suns made a fierce comeback in the second half to tie the game after trailing by as many as 27 points, but Wembanyama was at his best down the stretch, hitting a dagger pull-up three with two minutes remaining to put the Spurs up 10.

Devin Booker was outstanding in his return from a toe injury, finishing a rebound shy of a triple-double with 31 points, nine boards, and 13 assists.

The win was San Antonio's second against the championship-contending Suns in the last three days, having come back from down 21 points to beat Phoenix on Tuesday.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox