Michael C. Wright
Multiple Authors
SAN ANTONIO — Spurs star Victor Wembanyama returned from a one-game absence Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets and showed off his full arsenal of skills in leading a 115-102 victory to close a six-game homestand at Frost Bank Center.
Wembanyama fell just two assists shy of his third career 30-point triple-double, pouring in a game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and adding four blocks and two steals. The performance marked Wembanyama’s second career-outing with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, multiple blocks and multiple steals, tying him with George Gervin for the third-most such games in franchise history behind David Robinson (19) and Tim Duncan (9), according to ESPN Research.
“It’s just a progression in general,” Wembanyama said. “There were many aspects of the game where we dominated them, and that shows because we won three out of four quarters.”
San Antonio improved to a league-best 17-2 since Feb. 1, including 5-1 in its six-game homestand.
“It’s been really good for us to go through these games and find out about other teams and find out about ourselves,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We’ve had to be in a lot of different types of games, whether it’s a little bit open or having to cover a lot of distance defensively, matching some physicality, late-game execution, seeing different ways that people guard us. All these experiences are hopefully lessons we turn into knowledge and wisdom moving forward.”
Wembanyama swished his first attempt of the afternoon, a 26-footer off an assist from Stephon Castle, and ended with 11 points in the first quarter on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. He had a game-high 18 points at the half.
The Frenchman showed off his playmaking skills in the third quarter, finding center Luke Kornet for two alley-oops out of his three assists in the frame. In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama floated up an alley-oop for Castle, who caught it for a two-handed reverse dunk.
“It’s one more weapon,” Wembanyama said of his playmaking. “My playmaking most of the time happens by rolling and not even touching the ball, getting guys open by my positioning with my gravity. But I can do that, too.”
Wembanyama sat out of the team’s second loss since Feb. 1 on Thursday due to a sore right ankle after testing it during pre-game warmups. Wembanyama and San Antonio’s medical staff decided to err on the side of caution ahead of the loss to the Denver Nuggets, but the organization was optimistic he’d return for Saturday’s matchup against the Hornets.
Wembanyama can miss three more regular-season games before he’s ineligible for NBA awards.
“Victor has the longest things he wants to do that are important probably in the history of basketball,” Johnson said. “They all are important to me as well. There’s a lot that goes into that, and at times we have to make tough decisions. Because on that long list, there are still things that we prioritize and put on the top of the list. But that guy, I think is going to challenge us as long as we’re all here to continue to match that desire to keep checking things off that list.”
In other injury news, rookie Dylan Harper missed Saturday’s contest due to a right calf contusion.
Johnson said Harper is day to day, adding there is “no long-term concern” regarding the injury. Harper previously missed 10 games in November due to a left calf strain.
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