The San Antonio Spurs may not be having the best season — or anywhere near it — since drafting Victor Wembanyama, but the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft continues to excite fans with his potential and his strong individual showings in spite of all the losses that have piled up.
A national audience was treated to Wembanyama’s bag of tricks on Thursday, as the Spurs took on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Wemby’s 20th birthday. The star rookie did not disappoint, with two incredible slam dunks bringing the Frost Bank Center to its feet in a close and highly-competitive contest.
Spurs surprise Victor Wembanyama on birthday
Wemby’s show-stopping slams
Wembanyama produced two of Thursday’s best highlights in the heart of Texas, showing fans once again that his unique talent has the chance to change the NBA.
In the first half, Wembanyama finished off his own alley-oop, splitting a double team of Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton before flipping the ball off the backboard — albeit a little awkwardly — and throwing the ball down in a wide-open lane.
Wemby topped himself in the second half, on a fast-break early in the third quarter. The 20-year-old jumped on a loose ball, a misplaced pass intended for Brook Lopez. He took it the distance, going behind his back with the basketball against an overmatched Damian Lillard and dunking it over Lopez.
Spurs fall to 5-29
Despite Wembanyama’s thrilling performance, the Frenchman couldn’t stop the Spurs from falling to their 29th loss in 34 games this season.
The Bucks emerged victorious from Frost Bank Center with a hard-fought 125-121 win to improve to 25-10. Antetokounmpo had a monster night, finishing with a game-high 44 points to go with 14 rebounds and seven assists. Lillard had 25 points and 10 assists as Milwaukee moved ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers into second place in the Eastern Conference.
Wembanyama finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and a game-high five blocks — as many as Milwaukee’s entire team. Shooting guard Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 34 points and six three-pointers. Keldon Johnson chipped in with a double-double from the bench, adding 14 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes.
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