Wemby's career-best 38 points hold off late Suns rally
Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama had the best performance of his young NBA career, scoring 38 points in his San Antonio Spurs' 132-121 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
Wembanyama was dominant in all aspects, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal while making 15 of his 26 shots, including three of his six 3-point attempts.
The Frenchman is the third teenager in NBA history to put up at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in a game, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant, according to StatMuse.
Wembanyama's 38 points are the third-most a rookie has ever scored in Spurs history, behind 41- and 39-point performances from Hall of Famer David Robinson. His 103 points through his first five games have also only been matched by Robinson, per NBA History.
"He's a multifaceted player," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said postgame, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Tom Orsborn. "He'll pass it to the open guy, but he has got confidence in himself and he made some plays that were unbelievable."
The Suns made a fierce comeback in the second half to tie the game after trailing by as many as 27 points, but Wembanyama was at his best down the stretch, hitting a dagger pull-up three with two minutes remaining to put the Spurs up 10.
Devin Booker was outstanding in his return from a toe injury, finishing a rebound shy of a triple-double with 31 points, nine boards, and 13 assists.
The win was San Antonio's second against the championship-contending Suns in the last three days, having come back from down 21 points to beat Phoenix on Tuesday.
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