Victor Wembanyama finally got the Spurs back in the win column with a dominant performance over the Thunder. Wembanyama had 28 points, 13 assists, and 5 blocks as San Antonio snapped a five-game losing streak. Furthermore, the win came against Chet Holgren, widely seen as Wembanyama's closest rival for the Rookie of the Year award. Holgrem had a 23/7/5 night in the double-digit loss to San Antonio. Holgren was originally drafted in 2022. However, he missed the entire 2022-23 season due to injury. Per the NBA rules, this makes the 2023-24 season his rookie year.
"I missed this sh-t," Wembanyama said after the game, referring to his frustrations about the Spurs' inability to win this season. Earlier in the week, after dropping a historic 5x5 night, Wembanyama had dismissed comparisons to Michael Jordan. "Did he do it in a win?" Wembanyama had asked, implying he cared more about wins on the board than personal accomplishments. Furthermore, Wembanyama was widely praised for his mentality by various sources around the NBA. The Spurs next host the Pacers on Sunday.
Victor Wembanyama Records First Professional Triple-Double
However, Wembanyama has been making history throughout his rookie year. Back in January, Wembanyama had his first professional triple-double, putting up 16/12/10 against the ailing Detroit Pistons. Furthermore, the 21 minutes and 2 seconds Wembanyama needed to complete the feat made it the second-fastest triple-double of the shot clock era. The 22-point win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Spurs and moved them to 6-30 on the season. Meanwhile, the Pistons fell to 3-35 and extended their then-losing streak to six games.
"Doing it in a win is everything, of course. I didn't know it was the second fastest in NBA history. It matters to me. I'm not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is type of statement I want to make as a player," Wembanyama said after the game.
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