Wembanyama makes 10 blocks in epic triple-double
Victor Wembanyama posted a remarkable triple-double of 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 122-99.
The 20-year-old rookie had the most blocks by any NBA player since Clint Capela in January 2021.
Wembanyama is just the fifth player in NBA history with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in a game.
He joins legends Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former Spurs star David Robinson on that list.
“It’s getting harder to block shots – I had to make an extra effort because less and less people go at me,” Wembanyama said.
“Intimidation, I can see it happening.”
The 7ft 4in Frenchman, who was the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, also made five assists in a dominant performance while team-mate Devin Vassell scored 25 points as San Antonio ended a seven-game losing streak.
Gradey Dick, another first-year player, top-scored for Toronto with 18 points.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 121-100 in a crunch game at the top of the Western Conference.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and Anthony Edwards 23 as the conference leaders claimed a convincing win in California.
Injury-hit defending champions the Denver Nuggets lost 112-95 at the Milwaukee Bucks with two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 36 points and securing 18 rebounds.
The Philadelphia 76ers ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ winning streak at nine games with a dramatic 123-121 win that saw Kelly Oubre score 24 points and with one second remaining block Donovan Mitchell’s lay-up, which would have sent the game into overtime.
The New York Knicks suffered a painful defeat by the Houston Rockets after a foul by Jalen Brunson with 0.3 seconds left gave Aaron Holiday three free throws to win the game. He hit the first two to put the hosts 105-103 up and intentionally missed the third to use up the remaining time.
Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a 129-107 win at the Utah Jazz. Luka Doncic’s 26-point triple-double helped the Dallas Mavericks beat the Washington Wizards 112-104, while the Charlotte Hornets triumphed 111-102 over the Indiana Pacers.
The Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 29 points in their 136-126 victory at the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans won 96-87 at the Memphis Grizzlies.