Wembanyama’s 40-Point Outburst Headlines NBA Opening Night; Flagg Debuts, Knicks Rely on Depth
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Opening night in the NBA belonged to Victor Wembanyama, whose 40-point explosion powered the San Antonio Spurs past the Dallas Mavericks 125-92 at American Airlines Center.
Spurs
The 21-year-old All-Star hit 15 of 21 shots, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked three attempts, setting a franchise record for most points in a season opener. Wembanyama was limited to 46 games last year before a shoulder injury ended his rookie campaign, but said he feels sharper now. “I’m much more in control of myself,” he told reporters. “I’m not taking this for granted anymore.”
Last season he averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and nearly four blocks. A summer of rigorous training and a promotional trip to China preceded his dominant return.
Mavericks
No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg started at point guard—an unfamiliar role—and finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and three turnovers in 32 minutes. He went 4-of-13 from the floor and missed an alley-oop dunk on his first possession; Dallas was outscored by 29 while he was on the court.
“Not great,” Flagg said afterward. “Didn’t play incredibly well, but we’ve got to move past it.” Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 22 points and dismissed the jitters as typical of a debut. Head coach Jason Kidd echoed that view, saying, “Now the stat line’s not going to say that, but as a rookie, he did fine. He’s going to learn from this.”
Knicks
New York coach Mike Brown welcomed heightened expectations after a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “Everyone has expectations,” Brown said. “We embrace that.” Eleven Knicks saw at least eight minutes of action, a depth Brown called “a fun challenge” to manage.
Karl-Anthony Towns, playing through a Grade 2 quad strain, provided 19 points and 11 rebounds. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans,” he said.
Source: Hoops Wire
