NBA: Victor Wembanyama makes history but LeBron James leads LA Lakers to victory over San Antonio Spurs
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByOli Gent
Updated 24/02/2024 at 10:34 GMT
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to achieve a "5x5" - but his efforts were not enough to stop the San Antonio Spurs falling to a 123-118 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had LeBron James to thank for a 30 points, nine assists and seven rebounds contribution. Wembanyama also equalled an NBA record held only by Michael Jordan before him.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket during the game on February 23, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Image credit: Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest NBA player to achieve a “5x5”, but it was not enough to stop the San Antonio Spurs falling 123-118 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, fuelled by an exceptional performance from their star man LeBron James, survived a late fightback from the Spurs to secure a narrower victory than the game’s momentum would have suggested.
James, the indefatigable small forward, scored 30 points, and registered nine assists and seven rebounds to overshadow Wembanyama’s historic moment, with the French prodigy’s 5x5 - at least five points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in one game - making the 20-year-old only the 15th player to have completed the feat in the NBA.
Wembanyama had been just one point away from a 5x5 in his previous game at the Sacramento Kings, but he reached the mark in the shortest time taken in NBA history, in just 30 minutes and 55 seconds.
The starlet’s performance led to comparisons with NBA legend Michael Jordan, as Wembanyama joined the exclusive club of players to record five blocks and five steals in consecutive matches.
It’s fair to say that despite coming out on the losing side, Wembanyama’s display had impressed the eventual match-winner, LeBron James.
“He doesn't have a ceiling,” James said after the game. “He can do whatever he wants to do in his career.
"It seems like he enjoys the game. It seems like he puts the work in, just from the outside looking in.
“I said a long time ago how special he was, and it's really that simple.”
Wembanyama himself was not all that interested in comparisons with NBA Hall of Famer Jordan.
“I wonder if he did it in wins, not losses,” Wembanyama said.
“To me, it’s secondary. Hopefully in the future we can look back and see this as a good performance, but as of today, I can’t be satisfied [with] a loss.”
Anthony Davis, Wembanyama’s fellow No. 1 pick, supplemented James’ 30 with 28 points and 13 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell chipped in with 22 to help the Lakers get over the line after a dicey first quarter in which Wembanyama starred for the Spurs.
Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks kept their noses in the hunt at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 112-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, themselves atop the Western Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo notched 33 points and 13 rebounds to set them on their way, and Damian Lillard brought out a pullup 21-footer with 10.3 seconds left to quash any Anthony Edwards-inspired comeback, with the shooting guard scoring three three-pointers in the final two minutes.
The Miami Heat survived Jimmy Butler’s dismissal to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-95, with the small forward sent to the locker room for his part in a final-quarter scuffle that also included Miami’s Thomas Bryant, along with the Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall, all of whom were also sent off.
The chaos ensued when Kevin Love, the Heat centre, held on to Zion Williamson to deny him a lay-up opportunity.
Nikola Jokic top-scored with his 17th triple-double of the campaign as the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-112, while the Toronto Raptors continued their good form with a tight 123-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Philadelphia 76ers pipped the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-97, with Tyrese Maxey recording 24 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder thrashed the Washington Wizards 147-106 at the Paycom Center.
The Houston Rockets edged the Phoenix Suns 114-110 with Fred VanVleet top scoring, while the LA Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-95.
The Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Hornets played out the lowest-scoring game of the day, with Steph Curry’s Warriors running out 97-84 victors, with Curry netting 15 points and five assists.
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Scan me
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement