Wembanyama scores 40 in 25 minutes as Spurs rout Suns for ninth straight win

Victor Wembanyama needed only 25 minutes to score 40 points, grab 11 rebounds and block nine shots as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 122-96 in Phoenix on Monday 9 November. It was San Antonio's ninth consecutive win, a run that began after they lost their first two games of the season.

The Spurs are now 9-2 overall and 5-0 on the road, according to the Associated Press report carried by ESPN. The Suns dropped to 3-6 overall and 3-3 at home.

Wembanyama's shooting line was as striking as the totals. He made 15 of his 19 attempts from the field, including 2 of 3 from three-point range, and added three assists, according to Yahoo Sports.

There is one small disagreement in the box scores. The Associated Press and Yahoo Sports credited him with nine blocks, while Reuters reported eight. On the higher count, he finished one block short of double figures in a third category.

Decided before the break

The game turned in the first half, when San Antonio put together a 21-2 run and went into the interval leading 61-46. Wembanyama already had 22 points, six rebounds and five blocks by then.

Phoenix never found a way back. Dylan Harper took over the scoring in the third quarter, getting 14 of his 17 points in that period, and the Spurs led 93-68 going into the fourth.

With the lead at 25 and the result settled, San Antonio could afford to keep their centre's minutes down. That he reached 40 points in so little time on court says plenty about how one-sided the contest was whenever he was involved.

The support was spread around. De'Aaron Fox scored 15 points, while Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes had 11 each.

Booker left to carry Phoenix

Devin Booker did what he could for the home side, scoring 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Khaman Maluach added 11 and was the only other Suns player to reach double figures.

The team numbers explain the margin. Phoenix shot 39.3% from the field and were outrebounded 55-35, a 20-rebound gap that left them with too few second chances against a defence anchored by a player swatting shots at that rate.

Booker's efficiency makes the rest of the picture look worse. When the leading scorer hits 10 of 17 and the team as a whole still shoots under 40%, the problem is everything around him.

Company with Chamberlain

The performance also put Wembanyama in rare statistical territory. Yahoo Sports reported that he became the second player in league history to record multiple games with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks in one season, joining Wilt Chamberlain.