Wemby’s poster jam, 42-point effort propels Spurs to OT win

SAN ANTONIO — Finger by finger, Devin Vassell counted the “wow” moments executed by Victor Wembanyama in his 42-point gem Thursday night that led the San Antonio Spurs to a 133-126 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

“The pack to Jeremy (Sochan), I sat there and said, ‘There’s no way’. Like that,” Vassell said, laughing. “Then he obviously throws it off the glass (to himself). Are we playing in our backyard or are we playing in the NBA?”

Regardless of the venue, Wembanyama’s performance proved almost otherworldly. He became the first NBA player to connect on seven 3-pointers while collecting 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks in the same game. The 20-year-old also joined Joel Embiid (November 2022) and Karl-Anthony Towns (December 2018) as the only players this century to tally 60 points, 10 assists and 10 blocks over two games.

Wembanyama reached the latest milestone in dramatic fashion against the Hawks, scoring eight of San Antonio’s 13 points in overtime, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and making both 3-point attempts. Wembanyama’s 29-footer off a Chris Paul assist with 1:52 left in overtime gave San Antonio the lead for good.

Wembanyama is tied with Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker for the eighth-most 40-point games in franchise history (3).

“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his big size, when he’s demonstrative, plays with conviction, where he’s going to get the ball to the places he wants to go and nothing’s going to stop him.”

Atlanta certainly struggled to do so in an opening half in which Wembanyama scored 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, with three blocks. Thursday night’s game marked the first time all season every player on San Antonio’s roster was healthy and available to play.

The Spurs took advantage, inserting Vassell into the starting lineup for the first time this season while moving rookie Stephon Castle into a backup role. Vassell scored 23 points while going 5-of-7 from 3-point range, with four assists and two steals, as San Antonio tied a season high with 35 points off Atlanta’s 23 turnovers.

“It felt like a big relief,” Wembanyama said of the Spurs finally playing with a healthy roster. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still doubtful. So we thought, ‘Is it finally the day?'”

Yes, it was. But it also turned out to be Wembanyama’s night.

During a 3-minute, 4-second stretch in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama catalyzed 11 straight points, scoring nine on his own in a variety of ways — from the mid post, near the bucket and out to 3-pointers line — before capping the blast with an alley-oop to Sochan, who put it in with his back to the basket.

One possession before, Wembanyama stumbled down the court as time ticked off the shot clock, with Clint Capela defending and teammate Julian Champagnie standing under the basket. Wembanyama tossed an alley-oop of himself off the backboard for a two-handed poster jam that left teammates still in awe after the final buzzer.

“Sometimes you just feel it,” Wembanyama said of the piece’s freelance nature. “I think the way we read their coverage was good and having good spacing to leave room on the ISOs (was good). I think it was a combination of things. There’s not one answer, but the fact that we’ve adapted to different types of defenses (team plays), that’s what I’m talking about.”

Paul, meanwhile, finished with 12 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals and scored his first basket of the night in the third quarter. Paul’s pull-up jumper early in that frame registered his first made field goal since the opening quarter of Friday’s win in Portland.

Paul shot 4-of-4 against Atlanta, including a 25-foot pull-up jumper to ice the game with 19.5 seconds left. It was Paul’s fourth career 10-plus point game on 100% shooting from the field.

Yet all Paul could talk about afterwards was Wembanyama.

“It was wild,” Paul said, recalling Wembanyama’s own alley-oop. “We were just talking about it in the locker room. I saw Julian cut himself and I thought he was about to give it to him. When I saw him put it off the backboard, I was like, ‘Damn, what’s Vic doing there?’ I’m telling you, almost every night he does something that you’re like, ‘damn, that’s why they talk about him all the time’.”