Wembanyama posts 52-point, 24-rebound career night as Spurs edge Mavs

Victor Wembanyama set career highs with 52 points and 24 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. He also recorded eight blocked shots in the victory.

The center scored 29 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked five shots in the first half. This performance made him the first player in the NBA since play-by-play records began in 1996-1997 to reach at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a single half.

Dallas came close to overturning the result. Kyrie Irving, who finished with 29 points, missed a contested 15-foot mid-range jumper with three seconds remaining. The Spurs held onto the one-point lead for their sixth straight win.

Dylan Harper added 21 points for San Antonio. Stephon Castle contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs had a plus-23 point differential when Wembanyama was on the floor and a minus-22 differential when he was off it.

Wembanyama scored 10 of the Spurs' first 12 points in the opening period. He finished the first quarter with 15 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and one assist. He made two putback baskets in the final 2:39 of the game but went 1 for 4 from the free-throw line in the last 2:10.

The Mavericks mounted a 12-1 run to cut the deficit to 49-48 after Wembanyama left the floor three minutes into the second quarter. He returned 4.5 minutes later. In the final 13 seconds of the first half, he recorded three blocks on consecutive possessions. De'Aaron Fox secured the rebound on the third block with 3:38 left in the half.