Wembanyama drops 40 as Spurs roll past Mavericks in opener
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DALLAS — Victor Wembanyama needed less than nine months to return from a health scare and even less time to leave his mark on opening night. The San Antonio Spurs’ second-year star erupted for 40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks with no turnovers Wednesday, powering a 125-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
The 7-foot-3 forward shot 14-of-20 from the field (70 percent) and became the first NBA player since the 1977-78 season to reach 40 points, 15 boards and three blocks without committing a turnover while hitting at least 70 percent of his attempts.
“He’s been out eight months,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “The most impressive number is zero turnovers. The fundamentally sound plays he made tonight were incredible.”
Wembanyama, sidelined 8 months and 11 days after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in February, wasted no time against Dallas’ oversized front line of Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II. He hit four of his first five shots for 11 points in the opening quarter, highlighted by a pump-fake that sent P.J. Washington airborne before a reverse windmill dunk that ignited the Spurs bench.
By halftime, Wembanyama and second-year guard Stephon Castle had combined to score or assist on 42 of San Antonio’s 60 points, giving the visitors a nine-point edge. Castle later connected with Wembanyama on a transition alley-oop for a reverse slam and finished with 12 points and seven assists.
“It’s a lot of reps and watching film together,” Castle said of their developing chemistry. “We worked on it all summer and it’s starting to show.”
The onslaught continued in the third period, when Wembanyama swatted a Lively layup, trailed the break, then buried a step-back three — plus the foul — for a four-point play that pushed the margin to 14. He exited midway through the fourth after a 13-foot fadeaway put San Antonio up by 30.
Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, called the matchup “something I’ve never seen before.” Davis, who scored 17 for the Mavericks, added, “When he’s 7-3 and shooting over the top, you just pray he misses.”
Wembanyama’s 40 points set a San Antonio record for a season opener. Reflecting on his offseason rehabilitation, he said, “It feels like every day we laid a brick to build a huge mansion. This is what we’ve struggled for so long to do.”
San Antonio begins the season 1-0, while Dallas falls to 0-1. The Spurs return home Friday to face the Phoenix Suns; the Mavericks visit the Houston Rockets the same night.
Source: ESPN
