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SAN ANTONIO – Spurs star Victor Wembanyama returned from a one-game absence Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets and showed off his full arsenal of skills in leading San Antonio to a 115-102 victory, completing a six-game homestand at Frost Bank Center.
Wembanyama scored a game-high 32 points with 12 rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and two steals. This performance marked Wembanyama’s second career appearance with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, multiple blocks and multiple steals, which tied him with George Gervin for the third-most such games in franchise history, according to ESPN Research. Wembanyama is behind Tim Duncan (9) and David Robinson (19).
“In general, it’s just progress,” Wembanyama said. “There were many aspects of the game where we dominated them and that showed in the fact that we won three out of four quarters.”
San Antonio improved to a league-best 17-2 record since Feb. 1, including a 5-1 mark in six games at home.
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“It was really good for us to experience these games and find out about other teams and ourselves,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We’ve had to participate in a lot of different types of games, whether it’s being a little open or having to cover a lot of distance defensively, we’ve had to have some late-game physicality and execution and see how people protect us in different ways. Hopefully all of those experiences are lessons that we turn into knowledge and wisdom for the future.”
Wembanyama started the game brilliantly, scoring 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting in the first quarter, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He had a game-high 18 points at halftime.
In the third quarter, he showed off his game-making skills by hitting center Luke Kornet for two alley-ups. In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama threw an alley-oop to Stephon Castle, who intercepted it for a two-handed reverse dunk.
“It’s another weapon,” Wembanyama said of his style of play. “Most of the time I play by rolling the ball and not even touching it, using my positioning to get guys on offense with my gravity. But I can do that too.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama had 32 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and two steals, helping San Antonio improve to 17-2 since Feb. 1. AP Photo/Eric Gay
Wembanyama was forced to miss Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets because he suffered a sore right ankle during pregame warmups. But the organization was optimistic he would return for Saturday’s game against the Hornets.
Wembanyama can miss three more regular-season games before being ineligible for NBA awards.
“Victor has the longest history of things he wants to do that are probably important in the history of basketball,” Johnson said. “They’re all important to me, too. There’s a lot to it, and sometimes we have to make tough decisions. Because on that long list, there are still things that we prioritize and put at the top of the list. But this guy, I think, is going to challenge us as long as we’re all here to continue to live up to that desire and continue to cross things off that list.”
Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper missed Saturday’s contest with a bruised right calf. Johnson said Harper is not feeling well, adding that there are “no long-term concerns” about the injury. Harper missed 10 games in November with a left calf strain.
