SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama delivered 26 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks Thursday night, carrying the San Antonio Spurs to a 107-101 victory over the Miami Heat and the first 5-0 opening in the franchise’s 50 NBA seasons.
The sellout crowd of 18,702 at Frost Bank Center watched San Antonio turn away a late Heat charge. Miami, averaging a league-best 131.5 points entering the game, managed a season-low 101 after being limited to 14 points in the third quarter.
Late blocks seal it
San Antonio’s 15-point cushion to start the fourth quarter vanished when Bam Adebayo (season-high 31 points) fueled a 17-1 run that put the Heat up by one. Wembanyama responded with three of his five blocks in the final period, including a rejection with 14.9 seconds remaining that preserved a five-point edge and sparked a celebratory roar from the 21-year-old rookie of the year.
“It felt like the exclamation point,” Wembanyama said of the late swat. “I was thinking about 5-0 and being proud to be a Spur.”
Historic numbers
The French center posted his third career game of at least 25 points, 15 boards, five assists and five blocks, trailing only Hall of Famers David Robinson (eight) and Tim Duncan (six) on the Spurs’ list. Through five games he is averaging 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds and 4.8 blocks, joining Bob McAdoo (1975) as the only players to open a season with those averages since blocks became official in 1973-74.
Supporting cast
Second-year guard Stephon Castle added 21 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals, while Devin Vassell finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, hitting a pair of late three-pointers. “Honestly, I’m tired of losing,” Vassell said. “The little things helped us win tonight.”
Physical test passed
Head coach Mitch Johnson praised Wembanyama’s nearly 40 minutes against Miami’s up-tempo attack. “For him to play at that level of consistency and efficiency in such a physical game was very impressive,” Johnson said.
The Spurs’ first four opponents—Dallas, New Orleans, Brooklyn and Toronto—entered Thursday with a combined 3-16 record, making the 3-2 Heat their toughest test so far. After the final horn, Wembanyama gathered teammates for a “Go Spurs Go” chant that echoed around the arena.
San Antonio looks to extend the unbeaten start when it hosts its next game Saturday night.
Source: ESPN
