3 Takeaways from Victor Wembanyama's 3rd triple-double in Spurs' win vs. Kings
12/02/2024 08:52 AM
Victor Wembanyama scored 34 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists in the San Antonio Spurs 127-125 victory at the Sacramento Kings, which serves as the third triple-double of his young career. It also marks a fifth win in the last six games for the Silver and Black, who now stand at 11-9.
Here are three takeaways from yet another early career feat for the generational talent.
Victor Wembanyama registers another triple-double
Wemby also blocked three shots and recorded a steal in Sunday night’s triple-double in California. It’s his first this season, his third in the NBA, and also his third of 2024. During a unanimous Rookie of the Year campaign, the top overall draft pick of 2023 had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a January 10th win at the Detroit Pistons last season.
Wembanyama put up 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks a month later in a victory at the Toronto Raptors. It represented the league’s first triple-double with blocks since Clint Capela did it in January of 2021. That had also been the last time anyone in the NBA had blocked 10 shots in a game. Wemby had five assists as well last February 12 — all in just 29 minutes.
The 7-foot-5 center is now tied with current Spurs point guard Tre Jones and 1970s franchise standout Larry Kenon for sixth-most in team history.
Wemby’s touch resurfaces from deep
In early to mid-November, the smooth-shooting big man enjoyed a three-game stint in which he shot 6-for-9, 6-for-12, and 8-for-16 from three-point range. Since then, he, as one would expect, cooled off.
Over his next four games, he shot 31% or worse in three of them, a 6-for-14 performance in victory vs. the Utah Jazz serving as the lone exception and a 2-for-9 outing vs. the Los Angeles Lakers his most recent time out marking the low point.
Sunday vs. the Kings, Wemby went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, recapturing the 50% clip at which he shot it just weeks before.
Victor Wembanyama’s great play comes as Spurs continue to win
That aforementioned February 12 win in Canada also marked the Spurs’ 11th win last season. They just recorded their 11th victory this season on December 1. Wembanyama’s been vital to what’s already proved a turnaround from just several months ago.
Sunday’s outcome in Sacramento came after San Antonio had a four-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday vs. Lakers. Though the generational talent missed the first two games of the streak because of a knee contusion, the team has won five of the last seven (and six of their last eight) games in which he’s played. That includes another victory vs. the Kings.
It also involves his 50-point game. In mid-November, the Spurs leading scorer exploded for half a hundred in a 139-130 victory vs. the Washington Wizards. Since a November 7th win vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, Wemby has scored at least 20 points in each of his eight outings. It’s a stretch that’s seen him score 34 three different times. Interestingly enough, two of those efforts have now come against Sacramento.
The post 3 Takeaways from Victor Wembanyama's 3rd triple-double in Spurs’ win vs. Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints.
