NBA: Wembanyama scores 30 points, Spurs snap 5-game skid
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers center Moses Brown, center, as forward Jerami Grant, right, watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
PORTLAND, Oregon— Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and seven blocks and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-105 on Thursday night to snapped a five-game losing streak.
The teams will meet again in Portland on Friday night.
Wembanyama had 30 or more points for the third time this season. The No. 1 pick in the draft scored 30 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 13, and had 38 in a win over the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 2.
Wembanyama put on a show in a matchup against fellow lottery pick Scoot Henderson.
Victor Wembanyama put on a SHOW tonight as the Spurs pick up the win in Portland! 🤩
30 PTS / 6 REB / 6 AST / 7 BLK
Wemby is the 2nd rookie in NBA History to record 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 7+ blocks in a game (David Robinson – 03/19/1990). pic.twitter.com/0mtmHjD0fC
— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2023
“It’s always important to me to play against great players, especially players my age,” Wembanyama said.
Henderson finished with 25 points, four assists and six turnovers for Portland.
“His length alone is just weird, it’s like he hovers over you,“ Henderson said about Wembanyama. “You can’t really feel him or bump him off because of his length.”
Jeremy Sochan added 16 points and seven rebounds for San Antonio.
Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant each scored 29 points for the Trail Blazers.
The Spurs never trailed, building a 28-point lead in the first quarter and carrying a 38-14 advantage into the second.
“We were never stopping the ball, always moving and sharing it,” Wembanyama said. “The defense, we were all locked in on the shifts. We had a lot of deflections, especially in the first half. It’s details, but when you get it all together, this is what it looks like.”
The Spurs shot 14 for 21 (67%) in the quarter, while Portland went 5 for 23 (22%).
